The Secret War
by CityOfFallenAshes
Summary: Kagome Higurashi was perfectly happy as a kindergarten teacher. Or she was. Her life gets turned around when the meets the older relative of her new student: Inuyasha Takahashi. Now she's involved in a secret war between two families and their friends. And she's horrified to find out that she has the reason behind it all... /InuxKag/MirxSan/SesshxRin/Rated M/Full Summary Inside
1. Meeting A Jerk

**Full Summary:**

Kagome Higurashi was perfectly happy as a kindergarten teacher that didn't mind what the kid was, whether it be mortal, half-demon, or full demon. In her eyes, all children are the same. Or she was happy anyway. Her life gets turned around when the meets the twenty five year old cousin of her newest student: Inuyasha Takahashi. Now she's involved in a secret war between two families and their friends. And she's horrified to find out she has the reason behind it all…

**A/N: I was so desperately wanting to write this, that I nearly died ;-;. I know I gotta update my other stories, but…had to write this one! :D Anyhow, disclaimers…and you know, I think I want a co-worker for this story. Reviews if interested…believe that is it. The rating might change by the way. Disclaimers!**

Kagome Higurashi sighed as she smiled and sat on a bench to watch the children in her classroom play. She was a teacher, famous throughout the school, as she was the only one who was willing to actually teach _hanyou_ and _youkai_ children. She thought they got along pretty well as kids. _I mean, look at Kazuya and Tatsuya! Tatsuya's the child of two demons and he gets along great with little Kazuya!_ She thought, smiling as the said two began to swing and chat.

With a jump of surprise, Kagome heard the bell ring. She got off of the bench, her knee length white dress swaying. A tan belt, mostly for decoration, was wrapped around her waist with a black buckle. She wore black heels and her waist length wavy black hair drifted down her back. She didn't mean to look so dressed up. It was just how she dressed for the children, as the girls liked to faun over how pretty their teacher was.

One of the said girls, Ami, suddenly tugged on her hand. Kagome looked down. "What is it, Ami?" She asked as she walked beside the young girl, holding onto her hand.

"Miss Kagome?" Ami asked nervously, fiddling with her free hand at the hem of her dress. "Is it true that we're going to have a new student tomorrow?" She fidgeted some more and Kagome smiled some more.

"Yes, we're getting a newbie tomorrow," She said cheerfully, hips swaying slightly as she walked. "His name's Shippo Takahashi and he's a _kitsune youkai_. Is that alright?"

Ami, who was a _kitsune_ herself, grinned with bright lavender eyes. "Yay! Another _kitsune_!"

Kagome laughed and led the way into the classroom to help the children pack their stuff up for the day.

~O~

"Miss Higurashi, could you please come to the office to speak with Mrs. Hokkaido?" A voice called suddenly over the large Shinboku Elementary speakers.

Kagome pressed a button and answered, "Of course. I'm on my way." She sighed as she released the button. She had been about to head home, and had just walked to the classroom door! She still had papers to grade, papers to re-correct, a letter to write to her mother, a phone call to her best friend Sango Taijiya –who was a demon slayer that slew demons that tried to kill mortals –and then she had to eat and go to sleep. So much to do, only a few hours to do it. "Damn…" She muttered as she slipped into the hall. She strode towards the direction of the principal's office.

She slipped into the office, flashing a quick smile at the lady in the office, Aoi Sato, before quietly knocking on the principal's office door. A quick and soft, "Come in!" was heard and Kagome stepped in. "Hello, Kaede." She said, politely bowing to the elderly principal, Kaede Hokkaido. "You needed me?"

"Yes," Kaede replied with a gentle smile. Kaede Hokkaido had been working as the principal at Shinboku Elementary for over forty years, and she was still running strong. "I have a request for ye. The Takahashi family requests that Shippo Takahashi comes to meet you this evening, and as they are the most powerful family in the area, would ye be willing to wait about an hour to meet him and the person accompanying him?"

Kagome nodded with a delighted smile. "Of course, Kaede! I cannot wait to meet little Shippo. I'm sure him and Ami will get along fair enough. I'll grade some papers while I wait."

Kaede excused Kagome, and the teacher started back towards the classroom. As she walked, she thought.

The Takahashi family was well known throughout Tokyo, as it was a very old and a very powerful family of _Inu_ _youkai_ with a few fox demons added to the mix. Maybe a mortal or two. They were pretty rich, Kagome had heard from rumors. And that would be thanks to Inu no Taisho Takahashi, the head of the family. He worked fairly hard at a large business he owned, one that was becoming even more popular. Then you had his wife, Izayoi Takahashi, and his two sons, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. And then you had little Shippo, the cousin of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. Most people were scared of them, as they were strong and they were demons, but Kagome could care less.

She sat down at her desk and began to work on grading her kindergartener's papers.

About half an hour later, there was a soft knock on the door and a little red head peeked in. Kagome chuckled and gave a soft laugh. "Hello," she called. "You must be Shippo, correct?"

The little boy nodded his green eyes curious as he bounced over to Kagome's desk. "Are you my new teacher, Miss Higurashi?"

"Yep!" Kagome said cheerfully. "You can call me Miss Kagome, or even Kagome, though. Okay? I don't like being called by my last name. It feels strange to me," I added as another form slipped in. I glanced up and raised an eyebrow as the figure crossed his arms and glowered across the room at me.

Shippo smiled brightly at the figure. "That's my cousin, Inuyasha!" He announced, flouncing over to the said man and dragging him over. "Inuyasha, this is my new teacher Kagome!"  
Kagome smiled at the young boy when he called her by her name before turning to politely bow at Inuyasha. "Hello."

"Keh!" Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes and looking away.

Inuyasha was a good head taller than me, and had silver ears with the same colored dog ears. His golden eyes were the color of melted gold, and then he had fangs and claws as well. He wore a red T-Shirt with black jeans and converse. Strapped to his waist was a sword that looked plain and rusty.

Kagome sighed slightly. "Do you two have any questions?" She asked, smiling brightly at both.

_-_OO_-_

Inuyasha fought the urge to strangle the woman in front of him. What was with her? He gave her his usual attitude, and she just smiled at him! She didn't even seem to notice his dog ears or claws!

Even he had to admit though; the woman was stunning. With thick black hair and sparkling blue eyes, as well as having nice curves in the right places, the woman was naturally beautiful. Even her scent was good, as it smelled of cherry blossoms, lavender, and tiger lilies. _She looks like Kikyo. No way in hell am I going to try and be nice. She probably has a temper too…_

His thoughts were cut short when she suddenly asked, "You're a _hanyou_, aren't you?"

Inuyasha, shocked, looked down to meet her gaze. Immediately, he bristled, growling. "Gotta problem with that, wench?"

Kagome surprised him, once again, by shaking her head. "Of course not. I'm the only teacher in the building willing to teach _hanyou_ and _youkai_ children, you know. I know they're innocent until they do something wrong. So I was just asking if you were _hanyou_. I'm not making fun of you for being something you can't help but be." She gave him another bright smile, and he scowled in reply.

Shippo asked another question, and Kagome turned back to answer it, leaving Inuyasha to ponder in his shock. _She seriously doesn't care that demons and half-demons aren't like her? She's the only person besides Mother and Rin to ever say that…hell no! When that happens, we always end up with some new mortal bitch joining the family. Keh! _He gave a smirk. _No way in hell is she going to end up mated to me. _

After Shippo _finally_ stopped asking questions, Inuyasha gave an exasperated sigh. "Come on, Shippo, Mother and the old man are probably worried right now."

Kagome tilted her head slightly. "What happened to your parents, Shippo?" She asked, directing the question at the _kitsune_, though she probably meant me.

Shippo sighed and rubbed an eye with the back of his hand. "Momma and Poppa went to get acorns but they didn't come back. Inuyasha's dad found them though." He shook his head sadly. "Someone killed them. That's what Inuyasha said."

Kagome, again, surprised the _hanyou_ by turning on him. "HOW DARE YOU TELL HIM THAT SOMEONE KILLED HIS PARENTS?" She roared at him, scooping Shippo and giving him a hug. "I'm sorry for you, Shippo." She told the fox demon. "You know what? I bet you have a bunch of fun with you aunt and uncle. And I bet you have fun here, too!"

"You really think so?"

"Yep!"

_-_OO_-_

"So you're saying that you're now teaching a Takahashi? Geez, woman. You have all the luck." Sango whined over the phone as she did her toenails while balancing the cell on her shoulder.

Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "Ugh. I met Shippo and Inuyasha Takahashi. And let me tell you, Inuyasha is a jerk. Shippo was really sweet though. And I do not have all the luck. Do you know that that Koga asked me out again? Gah! I have to keep finding excuses to escape his dates!" Kagome complained in return, rolling her eyes.

"You met Inuyasha Takahashi?" Sango squealed, which was strange as she would rather beat a man up then go out with him. "I've seen pictures of him but is he easy on the eyes in real life?"

Kagome wanted to throttle her through the phone. "Yes, he looks nice, but on the inside he's a big jerk who told a kid that someone killed the kid's parents."

"Sheesh. What a jerk." Sango agreed into the phone. "Did you hear about the trouble he got into a while ago? He was dating that chick Kikyo Okinawa, and then something happened between the two. Apparently, Inuyasha tried to steal this thing called the 'Sacred Jewel' she was protecting because he knew someone was coming for it and then some demon came in, killed Kikyo, and almost killed Inuyasha."

Kagome looked thoughtful. "Seriously? That happened? What happened to the Sacred Jewel?"

"They burned it with her body and it vanished…KOHAKU GET YOUR ASS OUT OF HERE AND STOP GOING THROUGH MY STUFF!"

Kagome chuckled as her friend screamed at her little brother. "Want me to send Souta over to help out?"

"Nah, I got him out." Came Sango's reply with a laugh. "I gotta let ya go. Kirara wants to be fed and she's looking at me like she's going to eat me if I don't'…

Kagome laughed in reply, said goodbye, and hung up. Then she went to work on getting ready for bed.

**A/N : So thoughts? **


	2. Double Date

**A/N:D I'm glad you two like it (InuGirl4ever12 & animemangagurl4)! Disclaimers and here's the next chapter :D**

Kagome woke up the next morning in her bed, stretched, and got up for the day. As usual, she slipped on her clothes, which consisted of a dark blue blouse with a black jacket that stopped just below her chest, blue jeans that flared at the ankles, black heels, and a black belt over the blouse at the waist, and a silver bracelet around her right wrist. As said, she didn't mean to overdress; it was just how she dressed. She brushed her hair back into a smooth mass of black waves, and then went downstairs to make herself some breakfast.

When her phone started ringing, alerting her of a new text message, she retrieved it and went back to cooking her bacon. It was Sango.

(**Sango**,Kagome)

**Yo, woman. We got a problem. There's a guy I met at some restaurant and he somehow managed to get my number.**

Kagome laughed so hard, she almost dropped her phone in the frying pan. You mean _you_ have a problem, San. What's his name?

It took a hot minute for her to reply, as Kagome suspected she was checking the name of the contact. Kagome grinned. _About time Sango got boyfriend. _She scrambled for the phone when it rung.

**He said in the restaurant that his name is Miroku. Huh. He's a pervert, Kags! Now I've got a perverted stalker!**

Kagome began to laugh again and quickly replied. How do you know he's a pervert? And how the hell did he get your number?

Kagome could almost see Sango throwing her hands in the air as she read Sango's answer. **He asked me to bear his children! Who the hell does that these days? And I have **_**no**_** idea; I told him if he didn't stop or tell me how he got my number, he'd meet my Hiraikotsu.**

Kagome gave a small smile at the thought of Sango hitting a guy over the head with her large boomerang. You go, San! I gotta run and get to the school. Talk to ya later! She flipped her phone shut, and then went upstairs to clean up her room before starting to the school in her car.

Her room was large and very white. Except for a few splashes of color. The walls were white, the carpet was snowy, and the bedding was white as well. The head and foot boards of the bed were black, while there was a white plush chair with a black pillow and a red pillow. Under two windows was her computer desk, also black, with her white apple laptop. A dresser rested in a corner; it was also black. The walls had a few pictures on them, and her closet was full of colorful clothes. She easily picked up some stuff from the night before, putting some clothes in the dresser.

She grabbed her laptop, the laptop chord, her black flip phone, her purse and stepped outside towards the car. It wasn't a fancy car, just a black Pathfinder. But she loved it. Shifting it into gear, she backed out of the driveway and sped towards the school. She was eager to start the school day as usual, and even more eager because of the new student.

She pulled into the parking lot of the elementary school, parked, and climbed out of the car. When someone suddenly rammed into her legs, she gasped and almost toppled over. Regaining her balance by putting a hand on her black car, she stared in surprise at none other than Shippo Takahashi. "What are you doing here so early, Shippo? School doesn't start for another hour and a half."

The little red headed _kitsune_ grinned up at Kagome. "Hello, Kagome! I didn't mean to scare you! I asked Inuyasha if he could bring me to school today, but he didn't know what time it started so he brought me way early and said we would wait!"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Your cousin seems generous," she snorted, trying to not say it sarcastically.

Shippo must have caught the bit of sarcasm. "No, he isn't." he said, shocking her with his agreement. "Inuyasha just wanted to drop me off as soon as he could so he could get back to sleep. See? He's even sleeping in the car!" He pointed in the direction of a shiny black car that looked brand spanking new. And you could see that Inuyasha _was_ out cold in the driver's seat.

Kagome giggled and said, "Why don't you come help me set up for the day? You can tell Mr. Takahashi that he can leave, and that we're going to set up the classroom. Today's Wednesday, so we're going to do a bunch of games like usual. Okay?"

Shippo nodded and bounded over to the car. Kagome noticed with another giggle that the boy had fox paws and a tail. "INUYASHA!" He yelled after jumping up and opening the door.

Inuyasha jumped, waking up fairly quickly. He rubbed the back of his head with a groan, one of his dog ears twitching. "Jeez, kid. You don't have to yell. What the hell do you need?"  
"Kagome's here, and she said we're going to play games today, and she also said I could help set up the games, so I'm going inside with her. She said you can leave, okay?" Shippo babbled excitedly, clapping his hand happily. His little green eyes were lit up with joy.

"Whatever. Mother said it'll either be her or me that picks ya up today, runt. See ya." He slammed the door shut after shooting a glare at Kagome, then drove away.

Shippo drooped visibly and Kagome hurried to say, "Come on, Shippo, let's go set up the games. You know, we have another _kitsune_ in the class…" she told him as he took her hand and she began leading the way in the direction of the classroom. "She was excited that you were coming."

Shippo gasped. "Really? Nobody ever likes to play with me because I'm a demon."

Kagome smiled sadly. "I know, little one. But I bet you make a lot of new friends in my class. I promise. And if nobody wants to be your friend, you can be my friend, okay?"

Shippo nodded cheerfully and Kagome opened the classroom door.

_-_OO_-_

During lunch recess, Kagome heard her cell phone ringing. She hurried and picked it up with a curious look on her face. She flipped it open, staring out the window of her car, where she had been eating her lunch. "Hello?"  
"Kagome, I am so going to kill this guy." Sango snapped into the phone. You could practically hear the irritation coming off of her. "He just asked me out! And I met him yesterday evening! Ya gotta help me!"  
Kagome burst out laughing. "You mean this Miroku guy texted you that?"

"No, he called me!"  
Kagome laughed harder. "Okay, okay," she told Sango, struggling to stop. "Do ya have a way I could meet him before we decide what to do?" She suggested, thoughtfully. "Maybe you could agree to go out with him, and I can be at your house when he picks you up. When he knocks on the door, I'll open it and say you're getting ready and get to know him a bit. Then you go out, and we'll decide what to do when you get back. Deal?"

Sango sighed on the other end. "Okay, but can I take Hiraikotsu"

"Of course, I can't imagine you not taking it. If he tries to force himself onto you, you throw it. Simple."

"Fine, we'll do it."

Kagome squealed. "Tell him to pick you up at six. Got it?"

Sango muttered something about 'over-eager women' and hung up.

_-_OO_-_

Kagome sat on Sango's couch, twiddling her thumbs in boredom as Sango prepared for her 'date' with the supposed perverted man, Miroku. Kagome grinned suddenly when the doorbell rang and she yelled, "Sango! I'm getting the door!" She smirked when she heard Sango squeak and walked over to the door. She opened it to find a pretty tall guy.

The guy, as said, was tall enough to tower over her. He had black hair pulled into a pony tail at the base of his neck, had violet eyes, and had some earrings in his left ear. He had a violet T-shirt on, some dark jeans, and some nice looking shoes. He looked normal enough, and just the right amount of dressing up for a first date. "Hello there, young miss. I realize you are not Miss Sango, but you are a beauty yourself."

Sango groaned from the dining room. "I told you, Kagome! He's a pervert!"

Kagome grinned over her shoulder. "Well, come on, Sango! I'm sure he doesn't want to wait all night!"

Sango growled at Kagome as she stalked into the entryway of her home. Kagome grinned at her look. She wore a white halter top with a black miniskirt and black leggings. She had on black flats, and her hair was pulled into a pony tail. Casual, but not too casual. "Happy?"

Kagome clapped her hands together. "Yep! Now, get go –"

Another voice interrupted Kagome's sentence. "Oi, Miroku! Get the woman and let's go so I'm not late!"

Kagome's face lit up with a mixture of surprise and fury while Sango's became pure rage. "What the hell is he doing, Miroku? Is he coming with us or something?"

Miroku rubbed the back of his head. "I apologize, my dear Sango. I requested that my friend, Inuyasha, lend me his family's limo, but he had to go somewhere as well; I believe it was a party that he did not wish to go to… So we are dropping him off at his destination and then going on our date."

Sango groaned with Kagome, causing Miroku to look between them. "You know Inuyasha, Kagome?"

Inuyasha himself answered the question when he appeared behind Miroku with an annoyed look. The moment he saw Kagome, his eyes widened for a moment then narrowed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Kagome placed her hands on her hips, giving him a smug look. Yes, she was an adult, and yes, she was patient with kids, but put her in the room with an annoying adult and she had the attitude of a five year old. Guess it comes with teaching. "Sango here is my best friend, and apparently your friend Miroku here is taking her on a date."

Inuyasha gawked at her for a moment and Miroku took the chance to repeat, "You know each other?"

Kagome waved off his question with a hand. "Of course. Shippo just joined my class today, and this idiot brought him to school an hour and half early so that I could watch him while I kept an eye on Shippo. Talk about child neglect! Poor Shippo was all sad about it!" Kagome announced, rolling her eyes.

Sango was surprised. She had never in the twenty something years she had known Kagome, witnessed this side of the woman. Sango hid a smile behind her hand. "Love in the making." She muttered to Miroku behind her hand, struggling to control her laughter.

Miroku joined in with the laughter when Inuyasha yelled back, "CHILD NEGLECT? I made sure the runt was safe, didn't I? Keh! Let's go!"

Miroku leaned over to Sango, putting his hand to her ear, and whispered, "How about we see if we can amuse ourselves by turning this into a double date…? It'll be hilarious!"

Sango giggled and nodded in agreement. She had to admit; the guy wasn't half bad. Miroku cleared his throat, wincing in fear slightly when both arguing people turned to glare at him. "Inuyasha, how badly do you want to skip that party?"

Inuyasha gave him a suspicious look. "Rin's hosting it, Sesshomaru's going to be there and probably get drunk, Kikyo's parents were somehow invited, and you want to know how badly? Miroku, I'll do anything to skip that damn party! For Kami's sake, my _mom_ _and dad_ are probably going to get drunk."

Miroku gave a sly grin as Sango turned to Kagome. "Hey, Kags?"

"What do you want now?" Kagome sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"Want to come with us?"

Kagome glowered at Sango. "It's your date. Hell no!"

Miroku wiggled his eyebrows at Kagome. "What if it's a double date?"

It took Kagome two seconds flat to figure out what he meant. "HELL. NO. I am _not_ going on a date with that jerk! Besides, I've seen him three times in the past two days…no, _four_ times! I am NOT going out with him, Sango! I can owe ya all you want, but I'm going home!"

Inuyasha immediately began complaining. "No way, Miroku!"

"So you _want_ to go to that party, Yash? Oh come on, she's not that bad on the eyes. You just gotta watch out for her temper." Miroku said in an attempt to tempt his best friend.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes in thought. _Go to the party and see Kikyo's parents, the parents of the one who tried to purify me, or go out on this one single date with Shippo's teacher Kagome, who doesn't happen to care about me being a hanyou…Keh. Whatever._ "Fine, I'll go. I seriously don't want Kikyo to try and purify me again, because then my drunken old man will interfere."

"I'm just saying, Inuyasha, but you can only come if Kagome here agrees to as well."

"Please, Kags!" Sango pleaded, smiling. "You can do all you want to annoy him on the date!"

Kagome placed a finger on her chin as she thought. "Uhh…no. As I said, I see him enough. He's a jerk, Sango! No way in hell!"  
Sango sighed and pulled out two fifty dollar bills. "You can have the money if you come."

Kagome gave in. "Can I at least go home and get changed first?" She snapped, taking the money. She didn't get a lot of money as a teacher, and she got even less for teaching _youkai_ and _hanyou_. So bribing her with money? Usually worked.

"Of course."

_-_OO_-_

Kagome sat on the booth as far away from Inuyasha as she could get, sipping angrily on the straw. Inuyasha did the same, while Miroku and Sango sat next to each other, chatting away. They had hit it off right away, and Kagome was glad that Sango was happy. Sango deserved to be happy. "Ugh. I should have never come."

Inuyasha smirked over at her. "What? Bored?" he taunted, shooting a glare of his own at Miroku.

"I'd rather be in my house sleeping."

"Keh! At least you didn't have to choose between going to a party with a drunken demon of a father and going on a date with a wench." Inuyasha retorted, growling. His dog ears flicked irritably as he took a large bite out of his food and he gave another smirk.

Kagome stuck her tongue out. _Wow. Working with little kids really does leave an impression…_ she thought as she took another sip of her drink.

They had all decided, or Inuyasha and Kagome had let Miroku and Sango decide, to go to a pizza place. Simple, but "fun". Kagome had refused to eat the pizza, saying she didn't feel like it and that she would eat when she got home. And then she told them she was walking after they were done. But she was still waiting for the date to end.

Kagome impatiently tapped her fingers on the table, finishing her drink. "You know what guys? I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling too good." She lied, wanting to escape. "I'm going to go, okay?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh!"

Sango pouted but sighed and nodded. "Alright, Kagome. Do you need a ride? We can all go and take you home if you don't feel well."

Kagome waved her off. "I'm fine, San. It's only a few blocks away. I'll be fine." She gave Miroku a polite bow, said farewell to Sango, shot a half-glare, half-smirk at Inuyasha, and left.

Kagome sighed as she walked outside, and then along the sidewalk, clutching her small handbag to her chest. It was chilly out, pitch black out, and she was wearing a tank top, a mini skirt, and heels. _What's wrong with me? I should have just asked if they could take me home._

About half way home, she glanced over her shoulder, feeling as if someone was watching her. She saw nobody. So she shook off the feeling. But when she felt it again, she whipped around. Nothing.

She turned around…and came face to face with a huge demon. Kagome shrieked in surprise, scrambling backwards. Her heart was racing when she saw the hungry look in its eyes, and its mouth was watering. A lot of demons, half-demons, and mortals lived together in peace, but occasionally there was a rouge _youkai_ that caused trouble and at the mortals. It just happened to be one of those.

Kagome turned and darted forwards, only to find the demon in front of her. She whimpered in fear. _I'm so dead! I really should have asked them to take me home! Someone's gotta be around, I don't have any weapons, and I certainly don't know how to use them!_

The demon loomed over her and Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, dropping to her knees and preparing to feel it slam a fist down on her. When it didn't come, she opened her eyes and looked up in surprise to see none other than Inuyasha, ears twitching, wielding a large fang-shaped sword. "Keh," he snorted, glancing over his shoulder at Kagome. "Are you stupid?"

Kagome glowered up at him. "I don't know how to use any weapons, which is why I don't -HEY LOOK OUT!"

The demon had lunged at Inuyasha, but he just leaped up to avoid it. He swung his large sword, and a moment later, the head was rolling on the ground. He sheathed the sword, and glanced over his shoulder at Kagome again. "Are you okay?"  
Kagome blushed slightly, surprised that he was asking her if she was okay. "I…I'm okay," she murmured, scrambling to her feet. "Sorry you had to come rescue me," she added scornfully, remembering his earlier comment.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and then looked away. Okay, so the woman was slightly attractive. He couldn't help it! It was worse because she was all dressed up, and her scent had managed to amplify. _Damn, now I'm gonna start getting all 'mushy' and stuff. Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!_ "Keh! Who says you have to be sorry? Come on, the others are waiting."

Kagome followed after him, blushing furiously now. "Okay…"

He glanced over his shoulder once more, catching her eyes for a moment, and then turning away and stalking forward. He felt a tugging in his gut, and then growled to himself. So now his inner demon wanted to chat? _What the hell! Screw you! _He completely ignored it and stalked up to the limo. He jerked the door open and climbed in. When Kagome hesitated, he snarled, "Are you coming?"

Kagome climbed in, noticing that Sango and Miroku were nowhere to be found. "Where are Sango and Miroku?"  
"They decided to stay a while longer. They're gonna walk home."  
"Is that safe?" Kagome asked, worried for her friend's safety.

"'Course," Inuyasha snorted. "Trust me, Miroku likes her. He's not gonna let anything touch her. And she has that weapon of hers."

Kagome nodded, and propped her chin on her hand, her elbow on her knee as she crossed both of them. "Can't say that was a fun night," She suddenly said out loud, looking out the window.

"Eh, sort of was. Got to kill something for once." Inuyasha replied, an ear twitching.

Kagome could feel his eyes on her and she fought the urge to nervously fidget. "Huh."

They were silent for a few minutes, and then Inuyasha muttered, "Maybe we could go out another time."

Kagome blinked in surprise. "Sure…that would be fun," she said slightly awkwardly.

"Give me your phone," Inuyasha suddenly demanded, holding out his hand.

Kagome froze, then dug in her handbag and handed it over. "Why, Inuyasha?" She demanded as the limo slowed to a halt and the driver announced that they were at her house.

He typed in some things then handed it back. Kagome said farewell, then stepped out. As soon as the limo was driving away, she pulled out her phone and checked to see what he had put on it.

She blinked in surprise again when she saw it. A new contact. Knowing what it was already, she clicked into her contacts and looked at it.

_Inuyasha Takahashi_.

**A/N: Wanted to write a long chapter, so I did! ^_^ I'm gonna put this story up into Rated M. It won't have any lemons and stuff, just for some choice of words. Anyhow, thoughts?**


	3. Breakin

**A/N: Glad you all like this story! I love writing it :D Okay, so I discovered the show 'Ranma ½'. Best show besides Inuyasha XD Disclaimers, and as said thanks!**

Kagome walked out the door, purse in hand and phone on her shoulder. "I'm not lying, Sango, he gave me his damn number! The jerk!" She snapped into the phone, digging around in her purse for her car keys. "And hey, did you ever find out how Miroku got your number?"

"Huh. You know, I forgot to ask him. I'll do that when I see him again." Sango replied, sounding thoughtful. "Anyway... Kagome! How do you get all the guys! And how the hell do they always end up being demon or something? First Koga the wolf demon, then ya got Inuyasha Takahashi the famous _hanyou_!"

Kagome wanted to smack her head with her hand, but both hands were occupied. "Sango, listen. One, I don't like Koga. It's unrequited love from his side, okay? Two, Inuyasha Takahashi is a jerk and I do not like him at all."

"Okay, okay!" Sango laughed, giggling on her side of the call. "Shall we set up another double date?" She teased, laughing even harder when Kagome started yelling.

"HELL NO!" Kagome yelled furiously into the cell phone. "I am _never_ going on another date with him, you got that? He's a jerk, Sango!"

Kagome could practically see Sango wiggling her eyebrows. "Ooh, you're so sure of it!"

"I gotta go." Kagome sighed, flipping the phone shut and climbing into her car. She started the engine, preparing to pull out of the driveway when there was a knock on her window. Kagome slammed her head on the wheel and rolled down the window. "Seriously, I have to go to work!" She snapped, turning to face whoever it was. She reeled away in surprise when she saw it was a silver haired, dog eared half-demon. "Oh great, what the hell do you want?" She snapped.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Hello to you, too. Shippo wants you to ride in a limo because you are apparently 'the best teacher I've ever had'." He said, mocking Shippo's voice.

Kagome glared at him. "No thanks," She spat bitterly. "I'm going to drive myself to work."

"What? Scared to ride in a car with me again?" Inuyasha taunted with a smirk on his face. Then he gave an exaggerated sigh. "Okay then, I'll just tell Shippo you have some things to do before work today." He nodded towards the limo parked behind her car, which had an excited little kid pressing his face against the window, a huge grin on his face.

Kagome sighed, slamming her head onto the wheel again. "Fine," she sighed, twisting the key and turning the car off. "I'll come since Shippo looks excited. Now get out of the way so I can open the damn door."

Inuyasha gave another smirk and stepped away, opening the door in the process. "Here ya go."

"Screw you," Kagome retorted, climbing out and stalking towards the limo. _Damn rich hanyou._ Shippo hurried to open the door for her and she slipped in. "Hello, Shippo!" She exclaimed, smiling at the young child as Inuyasha slipped in beside her.

"Kagome! You get to go to school with me!" Shippo cheered, bouncing up and down.

Kagome shot a quick glare at Inuyasha, and then nodded at Shippo. "Yep!" She smiled again, reaching over and patting his head. "If you can give me a moment…" she pulled out her phone and sent a text to Sango.

(**Sango**, Kagome)

San ya gotta help me. Now. She sent it, and then flipped the phone shut to chat with Shippo as the limo began driving. She didn't say anything, but she noticed that the half-demon beside her kept glancing at her. Her phone suddenly beeped. "One moment, Shippo."

**Who do I have to beat up this time Kags?**

Kagome flashed an evil grin at Inuyasha, who narrowed his eyes slightly. He had his hands folded behind his head and his feet propped up on the seat in front of him. She smiled innocently then replied, That Inuyasha Takahashi guy is kidnapping me in a black limo that's just driving by your house. She returned to her talk with little Shippo. A moment later…

_Wham!_

Inuyasha shot up. "What the hell was that?"

Shippo squealed and leaped into Kagome's lap. "Kagome!"

Kagome grinned and hugged Shippo to her chest. "I don't know. Go see!"  
Inuyasha shot a suspicious glare at Kagome, then opened the window and swung up onto the roof of the limo. Kagome covered her mouth to stifle giggles when she heard a yelp of surprise and another crashing sound as Sango's Hiraikotsu hit the roof of the limo. "HOW DARE YOU KIDNAP KAGOME?"

Shippo shuddered in Kagome's arms. "Kagome, what's happening?"

Kagome giggled as there was another crash and the limo slowed to a halt. Still holding Shippo, she climbed out of the limo to watch as Sango threw Hiraikotsu at Inuyasha again. The half-demon cursed and jumped to avoid it. "Okay, Sango! You can come down!" She called up with a triumphant smile. "I was joking!"

Sango jumped off the limo, landing at her side. She shouldered Hiraikotsu. "But you said he was kidnapping you!"

"Eh, it worked as a good prank, didn't it?"

Sango gaped at her and Inuyasha joined in, staring at Kagome from the top of the limo. "You mean to say…you wanted me to kill him…for no reason?" Sango growled through gritted teeth.

Kagome grinned. "Yep!"

Sango groaned in exasperation as she stalked back towards her house. "You are so going to get it after you get home from work." She told Kagome then walked into the house.

Kagome, still holding Shippo, smirked at Inuyasha then started walking down the street. "Come on, Shippo. The school's not that far away…"

Shippo climbed onto her shoulder. "Kagome, did you trick Inuyasha and that lady?"

"Of course. Inuyasha deserved it." Kagome replied, smiling to herself.

"Kagome, that's not a good idea." Shippo told her, surprising her. He shook his head in disbelief. "He chooses the most stupidest and childish ways to get revenge you know."

Kagome waved it off with a hand. "I'll be prepared, Shippo. You're pretty mature for a kid you know."

"I'm turning six in human years tomorrow," Shippo said to her, looking over his shoulder. "Oooh, not good. Inuyasha's gone. Anyway, I'll be around one hundred years old or something!"

Her eye twitched. "Shippo, how old is the rest of your family?" She forced herself to continue walking, as they had reached the school. She opened the door, slipping around another teacher as they passed.

"_Well_…Inuyasha's around seven hundred, Sesshy's around eight or nine hundred, Uncle Taisho is a couple thousand years old, Aunt Izayoi is a couple thousand, Rin is a couple hundred…" he trailed off. "Kagome?"

Kagome was shaking her head to clear it. "You're family really is old and powerful, huh?"  
Shippo nodded, tugging on his tail. "We're the oldest family in Tokyo, Kagome."

"Now you tell me," Kagome groaned. "I'm kind of regretting calling Sango…"

_-_OO_-_

After work, Kagome waited impatiently for whoever was coming to pick up Shippo to do so. She did _not_ want to deal with Inuyasha or Sango…though it was still hilarious in her mind. She sighed in relief when a woman appeared to pick up Shippo. "Hello, miss. I'm Kagome Higurashi, Shippo's teacher." Kagome said, politely bowing.

The woman grinned. "I'm Rin. So you're this Kagome chick Inuyasha keeps complaining about. Did you really get the demon slayer lady to attack him?"

Kagome was shocked that she seemed so happy about it. "Err-"

"She did Rin!" Shippo announced as he jumped into Rin's arms. "She was riding with us to school and she pretended that Inuyasha was kidnapping her and the slayer lady attacked!"

Rin burst out laughing. "Oh…my…gosh!" She gasped between her laughter. "You know what? Inuyasha's not home and neither is Sesshomaru or Inutaisho or Izayoi, so why don't you come over. Miroku might be at our house like he is most of the time, but I believe you know him, so…what do you say?"

"As long as I can leave before Inuyasha gets back…sure. And can I run home and change?" Kagome said hesitantly. "I want to put on some comfy clothes."

"Sure," Rin smiled gleefully, clapping her hands together. "We'll drive you home as you didn't bring your car today. Then we can wait while you change and drive you to our place!"

"Oh…okay."

_-_OO_-_

Kagome slid out of Rin's sports car and stared in shock at Takahashi Mansion. It was enormous! The biggest thing she had ever seen! "You…you live here?"

Rin, who had been examining Kagome's choice of comfy clothes (a simple red tank top with white shorts and black flip-flops), nodded. "Yep. This is Takahashi Mansion. The whole family lives here, though we each have some little cottage of our own somewhere on the grounds."

Kagome followed Rin inside, looking around in shock as she saw maids scurrying around, cleaning everything up. "Oh my…" she choked off when she saw a little girl in a maid's outfit scurry over to Shippo.

"Welcome home, Shippo-Chan!" the little girl said, bowing happily.

"Misami-Chan!" Shippo grinned. "Let's go play with some toys!" Both raced off.

Kagome joined in with Rin's laughter. "Okay, so let's go sit in the living room. The maids can bring us some lemonade or iced tea or something while you give me the juicy details about your prank!" Rin exclaimed, dragging Kagome over to a HUGE black couch.

"Why do you need such a big couch?" Kagome asked after receiving some pink lemonade from a maid, leaning against the back and her legs extended out in front of her. It was large enough that her feet didn't hang over the edge.

Rin took a sip of her iced tea, leaning against a large armrest. "We had it custom made so that Inutaisho has somewhere to rest if he needs to stay in his true form."

Kagome tilted her head curiously. "What's his true demon form, Rin?"

"A huge white dog."

"Seriously?"  
"Yep. Now, tell me why you pranked my little brother-in-law." Rin grinned, eyes lit up with amusement.

Kagome began her fairly long description. "He annoyed me, and my friend Sango is a demon slayer, so I texted her saying I was being kidnapped and that the car was right in front of her house…"

_-_OO_-_

"Shut up, Miroku," Inuyasha snapped as he stalked through his front door, the monk right behind him. He ignored all the maids that squawked around him. Then a voice caught his attention.

"I don't really know, Rin…I should be getting back before Inuyasha comes home…"

Inuyasha's gaze drifted in the direction and he bit back a growl. "Damn woman dared to come over here. Huh."

"Oh, come on. If he does come back, I'll make sure he leaves you alone. All I have to do is somehow take Tetsusaiga from him…" Rin replied, and then trailed off as they walked into the entryway, Kagome behind her.

Inuyasha grinned, raising an eyebrow. "So, Rin, we have visitors?"

Miroku finally stopped talking about Sango and how strong she was for having defeated Inuyasha almost and stared for a moment at Kagome. Then he was on his knees with his usual line of "Will you bare my children?"

Kagome hit him in the back of the head with a fist, her eyes blazing. "Sango was right; you are a lecher! Sorry, Rin, I'm out of here!" She added as she strode out the front door.

Inuyasha grinned evilly and Rin poked his shoulder. "Inuyasha, what are you going to do?"

"I'm just going to drive her home." Inuyasha replied 'innocently', grabbing his car keys. "I'll be right back." He grinned to himself as he walked outside, his plan forming. He would be nice to the girl for a while, maybe take her on a date or two, and then he would introduce her to his claws…not that he would kill her. Not only would he be killed himself, but he couldn't find it in him to kill her. He couldn't kill her. _Damn! What the hell has gotten into me? _

Kagome had gone about half-way down the driveway, digging through her pockets for money for a taxi when she heard a car drive up and stop beside her. When she looked over, she edged closer to the grass and a ways away from the car. "What do you want, Inuyasha?" She asked suspiciously.

Inuyasha smirked from the car. "Need a ride?"

"From Rin, yes. From you, hell no." Kagome replied, stalking forward.

Inuyasha just edged the car next to her. "Oh come on, you know you'd rather ride instead of walk."

Kagome narrowed her eyes and continued walking. "No."

"You sure?"

Kagome gave in. "Fine." She jerked the door open and climbed in, slamming it behind her. "What the hell do you want, Takahashi?"

"Takahashi? Since when do you call people by their last names, Higurashi?" He asked tauntingly, pressing his foot on the gas pedal.

"Since I've decided you're an annoying jerk that doesn't care about other people." Kagome replied with a snort, turning away to face the window. "Now hurry up and take me home, I'm already tired of your damn voice."

Inuyasha couldn't help it: her words stung. "Keh! Jeez, I'm trying to be nice."

"From what I've heard, that's going to be a miracle when you manage to be nice."

_-_OO_-_

The next day, Kagome climbed out of her car, still irritated with Inuyasha. _What's his problem? Why was he trying to be nice to me?_

Out of the corner of her eyes, Kagome saw a black car pull in. "Seriously? Half an hour early again?" she muttered furiously before pretending she hadn't seen the car. When she reached her classroom, she easily opened the door, flipped the lights on, and went over to her desk. She set her bag on it and then frowned when her phone vibrated. She grabbed it then toppled over in surprise when she saw the name: _Inuyasha Takahashi_. She flipped it open and instantly demanded, "How the hell did you get _my_ number? I remember you giving me yours, but never the other way around!"

"Keh. Who cares? Shippo's coming in." He replied with a growl.

"Takahashi, how the hell did you get my number?" She growled into the cell phone, eyes flaming with irritation. "And I'm not a babysitter! I'm a kindergarten teacher, damn it! I love Shippo, but I have work to do!"  
"Look, this is an emergency." Inuyasha interrupted Kagome's ramble. "Something's happened and Shippo had to get to school, so take him."

Kagome frowned, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. "What happened? Is everyone okay?"

"Keh! Like I'd tell you!"

"Well, I'm sorry for worrying then!" She slapped the phone shut.

_-_OO_-_

Inuyasha heard her snap the phone shut as he watched Shippo run in. He didn't move. Had she said what he thought she had said?

_Well, I'm sorry for worrying then!_

Had she been worried?

He shook his head to clear it. _I'm hearing things. Nobody would ever care for a hanyou_.

He sped up the car, growling. How did they get through the defenses again? The whole Takahashi mansion was heavily guarded against their men, and they had _still_ managed to get through and almost kill Rin! It was a good thing Rin was a light sleeper and that Sesshomaru was practically her stalker or the person would have succeeded in killing Rin.

_-_OO_-_

Kagome stretched, watching through the windows as the children played during lunch. Shippo was having a ton of fun with Ami, playing on the slides. She was about to get up to get them when her phone suddenly vibrated. She opened the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Kagome? This is Rin."  
"How the hell do you people keep getting my phone number!" Kagome demanded, glowering at the window.

"That doesn't matter. Listen; could you do us a favor? Something happened last night, and we're all needed at home, so could you bring Shippo home for us?" Rin asked, sounding anxious. "I don't want him to feel alone."

Kagome's gaze darkened. "Of course. But what happened, Rin?"

"It's nothing really. Someone just broke in last night and let's just say I wouldn't be here talking to you if Sesshomaru hadn't been nearby." Rin said over another voice that sounded a lot like Inuyasha's. "Sorry, but I gotta go. Yash is pissing Sesshomaru off again. Thanks and bye!" Rin hung up.

Kagome got up, shutting her phone. _Someone broke into Inuyasha's house? Whoever it was must have been an idiot…_

_-_OO_-_

"Shippo, ready to go?" Kagome asked the young _kitsune_ after everybody else had left for the day. After he had come back in from lunch, she had told him she was driving him home. He hadn't been upset. On the contrary, he had been jumping for joy.

Shippo nodded and she led the boy to her car. She lifted him into the back seat, buckled him in, then climbed in, started the car, and began driving towards the Takahashi Mansion.

"Hey, Kagome?"

Kagome glanced in the review mirror at Shippo. "What's wrong, Shippo?"

"Why are you driving me? Is my family okay? Are they dead?" Shippo's voice began to rice with panic and he began wailing.

Kagome became concerned. Should she take him the last two miles to the mansion or pull over? She decided on pulling over. She carefully pulled over to the side of the road, quickly undid her seatbelt and scrambled out. She rushed over to Shippo's side and gently took him out, hugging him to her chest. "Shippo, it's okay. Nobody's hurt, nobody's dead. Something just got…broken, and they asked if I could drive you home, that's all. 'Kay?"

Shippo continued to sniffle, rubbing his eyes with small fists. Kagome settled into the grass on the side of the road to comfort him while she sat. She rubbed the crying boy's back in soothing circles. "Shippo, you need to calm down, okay?" She asked, holding him up. "We need to get back before your family gets worried. They already have enough to worry about, okay?"

Shippo began crying all over again, and Kagome struggled to comfort him. That is until a shadow fell over them and both fell silent, tilting their heads back.

It was Inuyasha.

He raised an eyebrow, looking down at the two of them. "What the hell are you doing?"

Kagome gave a slightly hysterical laugh. "Shippo got upset and thought you were all dead, so I pulled over to make him feel better, and he only started crying worse, and I have no clue what's going on at your place so I have no clue on how to make him feel better," she said in a rushed tone, struggling to continue comforting Shippo.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and then kneeled down beside her and Shippo. "Yo, Shippo."

Shippo leaped at Inuyasha, hugging his neck tightly. "Inuyasha! You're okay!" He sobbed.

Kagome looked away awkwardly as Inuyasha snorted. "Keh! Of course I am! Nothing wrong happened!"

After calming Shippo down, Inuyasha stood. "Yo, Kagome. Could you drive me back?"

Kagome, surprised at being called by her first name, gave a hesitant nod. "Sure…where's your car though?"

"I heard Shippo crying and I ran." He said simply, swinging into the passenger seat after buckling in Shippo.

Kagome sighed and climbed into the driver's side. She turned on the car, and then began driving towards the Mansion again.

Shippo soon fell asleep, and for the first time, Kagome and Inuyasha fell into a comfortable silence. After a while, Inuyasha sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples. "Too bad that Sesshy didn't catch the bastard that broke in. Now we have to worry about who the hell it was."

Kagome glanced at him, and then put her eyes on the road again. "That's not good. Is Rin okay?"

Inuyasha nodded. "We've been talking with all these people all day…" he muttered, an ear twitching as he closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the seat. Then his eyes opened. "You know what? Can we go out tonight? I need a distraction from all this damn stuff."

Kagome blinked in surprise, hesitating. After a moment, she sighed. "Fine. Pick me up at seven."

**A/N: O.O Took me all day to write this XD Now we have a tornado watch . after a huge heat wave, we get that. How nice. Oh well ^_^ Tomorrow I get a bigger bed (queen sized) :D Thoughts on this chapter? And I'll answer any questions!**


	4. A Date and Attack

**A/N: Hello once again my amazing readers ^_^ this story is my favorite to write so far. XD Anyhow, disclaimers, and I'll answer any questions!**

(Kagome, **Sango**)

Kagome flipped her phone open to text Sango before going over her wardrobe. Yo, San? You're not gonna believe this. She sent it, and then flicked through her many outfits. She still couldn't believe he had actually asked her out. She wasn't going to dress up a lot, just a tiny bit. Her gaze then locked on the perfect shirt as her phone vibrated. She picked it up and skimmed through the message.

**What's up, Kags?**

Inuyasha asked me out again. I'm kind of scared to be alone with him, to tell you the truth. He's probably thinking of the best way to get revenge on me for that thing I did the other day… Send.

Kagome went back to picking out her outfit. She pulled the dark, dark blue blouse, some darker jeans, some black heels, and a black belt to wear over the blouse around her waist. "There!" She announced as she finished slipping each item on. She added a necklace that had a black chain with a beautiful, bright, gleaming round pink jewel, which completed the look. The phone vibrated again.

**You still have to pay for that. You can repay me by giving me details, got it?**

Yeah, yeah, I'll give you the damn details. She replied, and then slipped her phone, wallet, and her keys into her purse. She checked the alarm clock beside her bed; six fifty-three. She sighed and headed downstairs to wait nervously. _I seriously hope he doesn't try to get his revenge. I didn't mean anything by it. You know what? I'll apologize._

The doorbell rang and Kagome walked over to the door, her heels clicking against the wooden floor that coated the entire bottom story. She opened the door and raised an eyebrow at the sight below her. "Seriously?" She asked, brushing past Inuyasha to get outside. She turned around to lock the door, and then peered down. "You're kidding. I finally get to ride in something other than the damn limo? About time!"

Inuyasha snorted, leading the way towards the car. "What? You don't like the limo?"

Kagome slipped into the passenger seat, feeling the smooth leather seat beneath her fingertips as she smoothed them over it. "It gets old after a while. I have to admit; I like the car better."

Inuyasha snorted as he slid into the driver's side, slamming the door behind him. "Keh."

Kagome sighed, leaning her head against the window as they fell into an awkward silence. "So…where are we going?" she asked, fingering her blouse's sleeve.

"Eh, some restaurant." He replied, turning the car around a corner and pushing the gas pedal down more.

"I see," Kagome said quietly with another sigh. Then she sat up straight, twisting to face him. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot! I wanted to apologize the other day for getting Sango to attack you. I guess I was kind of bored or something."

Inuyasha froze in surprise at her apology. But when he meant to say "Too late', he ended up saying, "Keh! Doesn't matter." He growled silently at himself. _What's wrong with me? I'm forgiving her?_

Kagome's face lit up with a bright smile. "Thanks, Takahashi!" She said, her voice slightly teasing when she said his last name.

Inuyasha snorted, pulling into a parking lot. He parked, turned the car off, and then turned to face her with a smirk. "Shall we go?"

Kagome eyed him warily. "Is it alright if I ask that you please not do anything for revenge?"

"Nope."

Kagome groaned, climbing out of the car. "Let's go, Takahashi."

Inuyasha was quickly walking beside her. Kagome hadn't seen him get out, but she didn't say anything about his inhuman strength, as she was used to it with the kids at school. They fell into a comfortable silence as they walked in. Inuyasha got them a booth pretty quickly, thanks to his family's name, and they had soon ordered some food.

Kagome sighed as she took a small sip of her drink, careful to avoid Inuyasha's gaze. She didn't trust him at the moment. Not at all; he probably had some plan to get back at her.

"Oh! Hey! Kagome! What are you doing here?" A voice suddenly came from beside the table.

Kagome looked up in surprise to see Koga Ookami, the wolf demon she had told Sango about. "Oh! Hi, Koga!" She smiled, leaning back against the booth seat. "Inuyasha had some things going on today, and I felt bad about making his cousin freak out about it, so I agreed to go out with him. Nothing special." She could feel Inuyasha's gaze on her again, and her back seemed to heat under it. She shifted slightly in discomfort. "So why are you here, Koga?"

Koga waved a hand, his tail flicking thoughtfully as he replied. "No reason except to eat."

Kagome smiled. "That's nice. I better get back to Inuyasha though, or he'll get mad at me for some reason."

When she turned to face Inuyasha again, the wolf demon suddenly laughed. "You're on a date with a half-breed? Kagome, surely you can do better than that!"

Inuyasha leaped up with a snarl, but Kagome calmly stood up as well. She suddenly shoved her face in Koga's and snapped, "Koga, don't say that! I don't care if he's _hanyou_! He could be a mutant for all I care! But he's my friend, and I won't stand for it if you insult him!" She finished by slamming herself into the booth seat, picking up her drink, and sipping on it again.

Inuyasha's eyes had gone wide with surprise at not only being called her friend, but at her reaction to him being called a half-breed. He was used to it. Not that it didn't bother him, but he had never seen someone become so irritated by that. He glowered at the wolf demon for a few more moments, and then sat down as well with a smirk. "You should go," he said, indicating with a nod at the wolf demon.

Koga smirked in reply, crossing his arms. "Why should I?"

"Because you're not wanted at the moment," Kagome retorted irritably. "Go away, Koga. You've pissed me off."

Koga shot a glare at Inuyasha, and then walked away.

Inuyasha grinned after him, and then turned to face Kagome. "I didn't know you had that kind of temper," he said suddenly, folding his hands behind his head. "What was that?"

Kagome shot a glance at Inuyasha as she finished her drink. As if on cue, the server brought their food. She stuffed a bite in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. When she had swallowed, she replied simply, "I don't like people making fun of each other just because of what they are. Besides, you could technically be called my friend since I know you."

Inuyasha blinked in surprise, stopping his chewing on a piece of steak. She claimed he was her friend? Nobody thought of him that way. Nobody. Well, part of that reason was his fault, as he didn't usually want one besides Miroku. But even he had to admit, the annoying woman was getting on his good side, which wasn't good for him. He didn't need another woman trying to purify the hell out of him because he wouldn't turn human or hand over an item he didn't have. "Keh! Who needs friends?"

"Everyone needs a friend or two," Kagome replied, lifting her head to give him a quick smile before looking back down at her food. "They help you out in times of pain and need, Inuyasha. When my father died, Sango helped me a lot. And she's been helping me a lot with my mother as well, as Momma is getting really sick," she added the last sentence quietly, her voice filled with pain.

Inuyasha, having an acute sense of hearing, heard it. His ear twitched. "I've never needed friends, and I don't plan on having any more than Miroku, wench." He growled to himself, hoping she wouldn't start crying. He couldn't stand it when women cried for some reason. Maybe it was because of his mother worrying over him a long time ago, when he was a child, but he couldn't stand it.

Kagome gave him another smile for a moment. "Why not? There's nothing wrong with having friends, Inuyasha."

He grumbled under his breath, and then froze when he realized she had called him by his first name instead of his last. "I've learned to not trust a person, that's all," he retorted, finishing his food.

Kagome gave a laugh. "So are you saying you don't trust me even though you're telling me how you feel about having friends?" She asked, but she didn't have a taunting tone. She was genuinely curious.

Inuyasha frowned. She did have a point. "Are you finished?"

Kagome nodded and stood. "Yep! Thanks for taking me out, Inuyasha. It did distract you like you wanted, right?"

Inuyasha was shocked that she used his first name once again, but nodded. "Keh. After what that damn mangy wolf did, I haven't thought of today once."

Kagome smiled brightly. "Great! I'm glad you didn't have to think of anything that's happened. A distraction can be good sometimes." She told him, pulling out her wallet.

"What the hell are you doing?" Inuyasha growled. "You're not paying, as I've already done that."

"You have?"

"No, I'm about to."

Kagome wanted to slap her hand to her head. "Oh come on! I'm not just a woman who'll let you do whatever you want, so at least let me tip the damn waiter."

"Fine, do whatever the hell you want." Inuyasha growled, rolling his eyes. He tossed some money on the table to pay for the meal, while Kagome placed a couple dollars as a tip for the waiter. Then they walked out of the restaurant. Or at least tried to, because as they passed the door, a hand shot out and grabbed Kagome by the wrist.

Kagome yelped in surprise, causing Inuyasha to whip around. But it was only Koga. Impatiently, Kagome yanked away and put her hands on her hips. "What the hell are you doing, Koga? Leave me alone! I am not in a good mood anymore."

Koga growled in reply. "I need to speak with you…alone."

Kagome glanced over her shoulder at Inuyasha with a pleading look, hoping he would help her. Inuyasha just raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "I'll meet ya at the car."

When he left, Kagome turned to Koga. "What the hell do you want? I need to go!"

"Why are you hanging around with a half-breed?" The wolf demon demanded, crossing his arms. "You said you were too busy to go out on a date with me, yet you went with mutt-face?"

Kagome crossed her own arms. "Koga," she snapped coldly. "I've been trying to let you down easy, but I don't like you in a romantic kind of way. I respect you as a friend, that's all! I like Inuyasha in a friendly way as well. Got it? Now leave me alone, I'm going to go back to Inuyasha, as he's actually pretty nice!" She glowered at him, and then stormed out of the restaurant. Upon reaching Inuyasha's car, she found it locked. She knocked on the glass, and then slipped into the car. "Sorry about that bastard." She muttered, buckling the seat belt.

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh! Like I care." Truthfully, he had heard every word she had said. He started up the car, and then pulled out of the parking lot.

Kagome sighed, leaning her head against the window. "Well that ruined all the fun. I'm sorry about him. He got mad because I went out with you instead of him." Kagome sighed, oblivious to Inuyasha's reaction when she added, "And to tell you the truth, I like you better than him. He's too…pushy."

Inuyasha had blushed furiously at her words, and kept his eyes on the road as he turned around a corner. "Keh! Why would I care?"

Kagome shrugged, closing her eyes. "I'm not saying you would. I'm just saying that he's too pushy. I don't like him." Then she sighed. "I'm gonna talk to Sango when I get home. Maybe she'll make an exception to slaying an innocent demon…"

_-_OO_-_

Kagome thanked Inuyasha for the night out, and then went to her front door. She unlocked it and opened the door…to find everything a mess. Kagome narrowed her eyes. Her house was usually spotless. Not…like this. Pictures were lying across the floor in piles of broken glass, vases lay at the bottom of the steps, clothes draped everywhere, a fork had ended up in her book case, torn pages of books streamed across the floor, and even her sofa had somehow ended up in the kitchen. She gasped. "My…my house!"

She slipped in the door, slightly scared. She gave a quick look around, then spun on her heel and walked right out the door, her eyes wide with shock and fear. She groaned when she noticed Inuyasha had already driven away, so she started down the sidewalk towards Sango's, taking out her phone to call her friend.

When Sango picked up, she immediately asked, "How did it go? Did you have fun?"

When Kagome answered, her voice shook with fear. "Sango? I'm coming over."

Sango immediately became concerned. "Kagome! What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I think someone broke in..."

_-_OO_-_

Inuyasha groaned when his phone started ringing at –he checked the clock. _Who the hell is calling me at two in the morning?_ He growled lowly and sat up, holding the phone to his dog ear. "Who the hell are you and what do you want?"  
"Hey, calm down! I gotta tell you something!"

"Miroku, this had better be important. I have to take Shippo to school at six in the morning." Inuyasha snapped, scratching the back of his head.

"I was hanging out at Sango's earlier because I got bored, and around ten o' clock, that girl Kagome came in." Miroku replied.

Inuyasha's attention was immediately caught. "What happened? I dropped her off around that time, too. I saw her go in her house."

"What? Scared you'll get blamed for something? Anyway, Kagome came over and she didn't look normal. She was seriously scared and shook up. She said that she thought someone had broken into her house because everything was everywhere. I think she started to freak out because she started babbling on and on about how her sofa didn't belong in the kitchen." Miroku snorted, and then yelled over his shoulder, "Sango! Is she still out cold?"

A muffled voice replied, "Yeah!"

"Sango had to knock her out because she started going into hysterics," Miroku answered Inuyasha's unspoken question.

"Why are you telling me this?" Inuyasha snorted, though he couldn't help but feel some worry for the woman well up in his chest.

"Well for one, you took her out, and two, she said you had left two seconds before she came back outside…oh, she's awake."

There was suddenly a scuffling on the other side of the phone and Inuyasha waited patiently until a female voice said, "Yo, Inuyasha. This is Sango. Could you come over and grab the monk? He's trying to grope Kagome, and this is gonna get really ugly, 'cuz she looks about ready to cut his head off –KAGOME PUT DOWN THE KNIFE!"

The line was cut off.

Inuyasha cursed and climbed out of his massive king-sized bed. He threw on some clothes and hurried down the stairs, heart racing. _Too much of a coincidence…first Rin almost killed, now _her_ place got ruined…_

He grabbed his keys…then jumped in surprise when a warm hand grabbed his arm. "Err, what are you doing up, Mother?" He asked guiltily.

Izayoi was a proud woman. She wore a sleeping robe and her black hair drifted to her feet. Her brown eyes glowered at her son, and her face was a cool mask of suspicion. "So, Inuyasha, do you care to explain where you're going?"

Inuyasha sighed, wanting to slam his fist into the wall. His mother asked all the questions and she chose now of all times! "I really need to go somewhere. Do you remember that woman that Rin was talking about? Kagome?"

Izayoi nodded. "Of course, dear, she's the one you took out last night."

"Yeah, well Miroku called and his latest girlfriend is friends with her. Apparently someone broke into Kagome's apartment, and I need to go pick up Miroku because when the monk called me, his girlfriend was telling Kagome to put down a knife. So can I please go?" Inuyasha fought the urge to growl at his mother.

Izayoi nodded quickly. "Of course. You can go. Just tell me before ya go next time, okay?"

"Yes, Mother." Inuyasha was out the door.

_-_OO_-_

Kagome was terrified and her friends couldn't figure out why. She kept babbling like a little girl about something that had happened on the way to Sango's, about something dark trying to take her necklace in the middle of the night. Not that it wasn't the middle of the night still.

Sango was currently still trying to take the knife away from Kagome, as she had grabbed it in a panic when she had seen Miroku's shadow move. Miroku was hiding behind the couch, prepared to dart out the door if he had to.

And then the doorbell rang.

Miroku scrambled over as Sango finally succeeded in taking the knife away from Kagome. He flung the door open and grinned. "Good! You escaped your mother's insane security! We need some help!" He gasped to the silver haired _hanyou_ that stood there, then hid behind him as Kagome threw something in their direction.

Inuyasha's golden gaze darkened at the sight of the woman that he had been with only hours ago. She had been strong and proud earlier. Now she was obviously terrified and looked like a child who had seen a ghost or a person that was haunted by their past. "What happened? She was fine earlier."

"Well, on her way over she said that she thought someone had broken into her house," Miroku began the explanation.

"Then…when she was talking…her phone went…dead…and then when she got here…she said…someone had attacked her…and tried to steal…her necklace," Sango finished as she struggled to contain Kagome's attempts to take the knife back.

Inuyasha came to her assistance by grabbing Kagome by an arm and twisting it behind her so it was pinned. He did the same with her other arm.

"Thanks!" Sango gasped tossing the steak knife away. Her twin-tailed demon cat came out from under the couch and jumped onto her shoulder. "Everything's okay, Kirara," Sango told her, patting Kirara's head.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Why her necklace?"

Sango hesitated then quickly walked over and plucked it off of Kagome's neck. She held it out for the _hanyou_'s inspection as he continued to keep Kagome from running off or attacking someone.

Inuyasha struggled not to snatch the necklace when he saw it, and he could see Miroku's eyes widen in shock. No doubt about what it was. "I believe…" he struggled to think as Sango put it back around Kagome's neck. "She was attacked."

Kagome finally seemed to be calming down as Sango asked, "Why?"

Inuyasha cautiously released the slightly crazed woman. "Her necklace. It's valuable."

Kagome seemed to snap out of her trance that she had been in. "What about my necklace? Of course it's valuable! It's been passed down in my family for generations, or at least that's what Gramps said before he passed on. Wait –what the hell are you doing here, Takahashi?"

Inuyasha wanted to once again slam his head into the wall. "Apparently you pulled a knife on everyone because you saw a shadow. So Miroku called for my assistance."

Kagome slapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry! Oh damn! Sango did you call the cops and stuff?"

"No," Sango replied. "We were occupied with getting a knife out of your hands."

Kagome scrambled for her cell phone, but found it in Inuyasha's clawed hand. He had an eyebrow raised, "And why do you need the cops?"

"Because after you dropped me off, I went inside and everything was everywhere!" Kagome announced, jumping for her phone. "Now give it here!"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "Mind if I investigate it first?"

_-_OO_-_

Kagome sighed as she walked into the kitchen and flipped lights on. For some reason, she felt safer with Inuyasha there. "See? Everything's everywhere! How the hell do you get the couch into the kitchen?" She wondered aloud, walking over and struggling to push it out of the way so she could get to the fridge.

Inuyasha walked behind her, arms crossed as he sniffed the air. Then his eyes flashed in the direction of the stairs and he was instantly heading in the direction. Kagome followed after him curiously as the _hanyou_ went up the stairs and into her room. He sniffed around for a few more minutes, than growled, flipping his phone open and quickly calling someone. When they answered, he growled into the phone, "Yo, old man! We have a problem! Not only have we found the jewel, but Naraku's found it, too…"

**A/N: Okay, wanted to explain about what happened to Kags. On her way to Sango's, she was attacked. She went into my own creation of a state of shock to where she mistook a shadow for her attacker and started flailing around with the knife. Then she came out of it. Simple as that. XD Thoughts?**


	5. Confessions

**A/N: So I got my new bed. . I love it to death. But the mattresses are kind of gross as they were used and I no longer have a memory foam thing, but I love it! It's huge! Anyhow, disclaimers and I have some sort of plot forming in my head for a new story! :D**

Inuyasha snapped his phone shut with a smirk on his face. "Alright, I have my brother and father on the way, and they're most likely bringing Rin, as my brother has been refusing to let her out of his sight."

Kagome surprised him by smacking the back of his head. "WHY THE HELL ARE THEY COMING OVER?" She shrieked, looking at him with a furious gaze. "My house is a mess!"  
"Because we know who went through your house!" Inuyasha snapped in reply. Then his nose moved as he sniffed again. He edged closer, leaning over so he could sniff Kagome's shoulder. When Kagome leaned away, uncomfortable with how close he was, he smirked. Then he growled. "The guy who attacked you. Same one."

The doorbell rang and Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, who nodded. She went to the entryway, and then opened it. There was a small group of people. In front was a tall man with silver hair tied into a high ponytail. He had tanned skin, golden eyes, and a single ragged blue stripe on each cheek. He had fangs and claws as well. He wore a simple T-Shirt with jeans. The second was another man, who looked a lot like the first. He had long silver hair with bangs that split down the middle of his forehead, revealing a crescent moon. Two pinkish stripes lined each cheek, and he had golden eyes a shade lighter than Inuyasha's or the first man's. His clothes consisted of a fancy shirt and some simple jeans. The third person was Rin, who looked tired and was glaring at the second guy.

"Err, hello," Kagome said nervously, entwining her fingers together.

The first man nodded at Kagome, then slipped past her into the house with the second man, whose nose was moving as he sniffed the air. She heard Inuyasha began speaking and glanced at Rin, who sighed, rubbing her temples. "Don't worry, Kagome. We got this."

Kagome felt her eye twitch and she was tempted to violently shake Rin. "I don't get it! What the hell are you guys doing here and why is everyone freaking out like they are?"

Rin shook her head. "I'm sure Inuyasha will explain it to you if he wants to…" she trailed off, eyes locking at my throat. "Where did you get that necklace?"  
Kagome groaned. _Again with the necklace!_ "I got it from my Gramps before he did. It's been in our family for a long time. Now, since Takahashi isn't going to reveal anything, can you _please_ tell me?"

Rin gave a tired grin. "He'll tell you. As your house is in shambles, would you like to stay at Takahashi Mansion with me? Izayoi will just _love _you and we have a bunch of spare rooms…"

"RIN…"

"Okay, okay. Inuyasha will tell you, just trust me on this one. He's probably gonna fall in love with you some time or another." At Kagome's blank look, she laughed. "He's already asked you out once and he doesn't shut up about how annoying and stuff you are. That's apparently how Sesshomaru was about me before we got closer. Same with Inutaisho and Izayoi."

Kagome toppled over.

_-_OO_-_

Kagome grumbled to herself as she sat in the passenger seat of Inuyasha's car, her stuff in her lap. He had told her to bring the necklace for some reason. "Jeez, I want to go home and sleep in my own bed. Why the hell are you all making me sleep at your place? I can sleep at Sango's; hell, I even have my own damn bedroom there! I have to go to work tomorrow! And I could have at least driven my own car, damn it!"

Inuyasha snorted in response, turning on a blinker as he turned into the long driveway to the mansion. "Keh! It's easier this way! Besides, you're calling in sick tomorrow so Miroku and I can help put your damn house back together."

"In that case, Sango's coming, too. I do _not_ want to be alone in a house with a lecherous monk and a vengeful _hanyou_ that's probably still thinking of revenge," Kagome retorted angrily.

"Keh! Why the hell would I want revenge on a stupid girl like you?"

Kagome's mind drifted back to Rin's words and she suppressed a shudder. _Ugh. Him? Like _me_? Even _love _me? Who the hell does Rin think she is? Screw this! I'm walking!_ "Stop the damn car," She suddenly snapped, struggling to open the door of the car.

"Why?" Inuyasha demanded, slowing the car but not stopping.

"Because I'm sick and tired of you making fun of me. I'm not a kid; I'm a teacher that deals with more violence than anyone else because of the damn parents of the children in my classroom! Do you know how many times I've had to threaten to purify the damn people and demons because they want to kill each other?" Kagome rambled in irritable tone.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but remained silent as she continued. "Do you know how much it sucks being called an outcast for caring for _youkai_ and _hanyou_? I hate that everyone has to fight! Why can't we all just live in peace?"

Inuyasha growled. "You're not the only outcast you know, wench! Damn it, I'm a _hanyou_! Do you know how many people despise me being alive when it's not my damn fault! I plan on becoming full_ youkai_, to let you know. If you have something against me, then get the hell over it, 'cuz I can't help being _hanyou_! Got it?"

Kagome went quiet, unable to stop the tears that began to well up. _Damn it! Why am I crying? _"Sorry," she sniffled, angrily wiping her tears away.

Inuyasha cursed. He hadn't meant to make her cry! "Why the hell are you crying, wench?"

"Sorry," Kagome repeated, taking a breath to calm herself. "I know other people have it worse, but it's hard being an outcast. I know you agree, Inuyasha. Nobody ever wants to get to know you. Nobody wants to come near you and be your friend. Everybody hates you." She finished, wiping the last tear away.

Inuyasha remained silent, finding himself agreeing with her. "Keh! Who needs friends other than you and Miroku…maybe even that Sango chick?"

Kagome gave a soft giggle, covering her mouth with her hand. Then her eyes widened when she heard his words. '_Who needs friends other than you and Miroku…maybe even that Sango chick?' Does that mean…he considers me and Sango his friend as well?_

_-_OO_-_

Inuyasha walked in the door, Kagome behind him as she shouldered her bag. She couldn't help but be amazed by all the different items that cluttered the Mansion while making it seem not so stuffed. "Wow. It's…"

"Big, beautiful, impressive, yada yada yada." Inuyasha grunted, starting up a huge case of stairs. "Come on, the guest rooms are this way."

Suddenly a woman appeared at the top of the stairs, eyes curious. "Inuyasha, dear, is this the girl Rin was telling me about?"

Kagome bowed respectfully. "Hello, miss. I'm Kagome Higurashi."

The woman grinned. "Very nice to meet you, Kagome, my dear. I'm Izayoi, Inuyasha here's mother. And Inuyasha," Izayoi began to scold her son. "Why didn't you tell me that Taisho would have to leave to go help you? He scared me half to death last night, rushing around. I thought Nara – Oof!" Her voice became muffled when her son slapped his hand over her mouth.

"She doesn't know about that bastard yet," Inuyasha hissed, glancing back at Kagome; the said woman was watching curiously. "I'm gonna tell her as soon as she's settled into her room."

"Tell me what?" Kagome asked, anger bubbling up at being left out.

"I'll tell ya. In a second," Inuyasha growled slowly before turning to his mother. "Now if you don't mind, Mother, I have to get her to her room…"

"Of course," Izayoi replied, stepping to the side. As Inuyasha and Kagome passed her, Kagome could have sworn she heard Izayoi mumble, "Make sure the kids have dog ears."

_-_OO_-_

Kagome plopped down on her enormous king sized bed that would serve as hers until her house was fixed up, her arms crossed. "Explain!" She demanded in a single word.

Inuyasha smirked, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "You know how that guy broke in a couple nights ago?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, that was an incarnation from our enemy, Naraku. A long time ago, his family and our family were pretty friendly. Then some small argument happened over a jewel known as the Jewel of Four Souls, or Shikon no Tama. The next thing we knew, we had accidentally killed some of them and etc. for us. It started the War, what we call our little Secret War. We've been at that war for thousands of years. Well, about the time I was born, the Shikon no Tama, which kept switching back and forth between the families, suddenly disappeared. We still strike out every now and then, but other than that we've been searching for it. That is, until you showed up."

"What the hell did I do?" Kagome demanded. "And what does this have to do with my house being destroyed?"  
"That jewel at your neck," Inuyasha smirked again. "Is none other than the Jewel we've been searching for. Shikon no Tama."

Kagome's hand instantly went to her neck, touching the beautiful pink jewel. "Th…this?" When Inuyasha nodded, she swallowed. _How the hell did my family end up with the cause of this little 'Secret War'? _ "I don't know how we got it," she said slowly. "But at least the fighting's not as bad."

"That's why you're staying here."

"WHAT?"

"You're staying in the Mansion since you have the Jewel. That, or hand it over." Inuyasha replied, scratching an ear.

"Screw you," Kagome shot back, eyes narrowing. "What happened to taking me home to fix up my house?"  
"We're still gonna do that. So you can see if they took anything."

Kagome groaned, and then smirked. "Technically, you really are kind of holding me hostage right now, so…" she pulled out her phone…only to have it pulled out of her hand by a clawed one. "Hey! Give that back!"

"Nope," He replied, popping his 'p'. "You're gonna call that Sango woman and she's gonna destroy my house. No."

Then a voice came from outside, singing, "Inu-Yash-AAAAAA!"

Inuyasha cursed, slamming his head backwards against the wall. Still holding onto the phone, he jerked the door open. "What the hell do you want, Miroku?"

Miroku peeked in and saw Kagome. He grinned. "Ah, I see. I'll just go away so you can finish whatever you're doing…" he turned and started to walk away, leaving a stuttering Inuyasha and Kagome blushing furiously. Then an idea hit her.

"MIROKU, WAIT!" She shrieked, shooting out the door after him. "I NEED YOU TO GET SAN –"  
"DAMN IT WENCH!" Inuyasha snapped, pulling her back in the room, which only seemed to make the lecherous monk grin more. "Miroku, get over here! I'm just telling her about the War!"

Miroku instantly froze, glancing over his shoulder. "I see. You told her that she has Shikon no Tama, right?"

At Inuyasha's nod, he took on a guilty look. "Err, I hate to say it, but I kind of told Sango about it and her demon cat and her brother, Kohaku, overheard and now they're offering to help us…"

Inuyasha's eyes lit up with fury and he cursed.

_-_OO_-_

Kagome hurried and ate the breakfast that Izayoi supplied for her. "Thank you, Lady Izayoi! Inuyasha's gonna be irritated that I'm not already in the car because he failed to alert me at which time we were leaving for my house." She said, and then rushed out of the house and towards Inuyasha's car, where he and Miroku were waiting. Sango would meet them at the house.

She climbed into the passenger seat after shoving Miroku out of it. When Miroku protested, she shot him a look that shut him up quickly enough. "Let's go already." She snapped, rubbing the jewel at her neck thoughtfully. She had decided to keep it on at all times.

When they had reached the house, Sango was waiting. Then they all began to work. Miroku and Sango put Kagome's room and upstairs back together, while Kagome herself and Inuyasha worked on the downstairs.

Kagome was currently trying to figure out how in hell she was going to get the sofa out of the kitchen. She tried pushing, pulling, lifting. But it wouldn't budge.

"Need some help?" Inuyasha suddenly asked with a smug tone.

Kagome whirled around in surprise, her foot catching the edge of the sofa. She toppled over…and straight into Inuyasha's arms. She froze in surprise for a moment as Inuyasha staggered at the sudden weight added onto him. Then she scrambled away, blushing furiously. "_Gomen, gomen_!" She apologized, and then turned to the couch. "And yes, can…can you help me…with it?"

Inuyasha grinned beside her, and then walked over. He easily lifted the couch onto one shoulder and started for the living room. Kagome followed after him, her mouth wide with shock. "Where do you want this?" he asked, still holding the couch up.

Kagome instructed that he put it next to her fireplace, and then glanced over her shoulder as Miroku and Sango thundered down the stairs. "What's up, guys?"

Sango grinned. "Checking with you guys. How much progress?"

"Living room's fixed, and we got the sofa out of the kitchen!" Kagome announced happily, a light blush still coating her cheeks. "What about you?"  
"Miroku just fixed up the bathroom and I finished up your closet. We still need to do your room and the guest room though." Sango replied, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"We've still gotta do the kitchen and dining room, as well as the closet down here. Take your time," Inuyasha smirked, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall after placing the couch down. "After this, Kagome can pack up her stuff and come with us, Miroku."

"Hell no. You can dream all you want, Takahashi," Kagome retorted, straightening the couch. "But I am _not_ staying at your damn Mansion."  
"Like you have a choice," Inuyasha snapped back, and then turned to glare at Sango. "That reminds me. Miroku seriously told you about our little War?" When Sango nodded, he growled, "If you tell anyone about it, your head will be rolling on the ground. Tell that to your brother, too."

Sango nodded again, and then said, "Come on, Miroku! We gotta finish the upstairs!" She darted up the stairs with a grin. Miroku scrambled after her, leaving the duo still downstairs shaking their heads.

Kagome went into the kitchen and sighed as she started cleaning it up. "I'm going to have to go buy a whole bunch of new food. I don't even know if I have enough money from this paycheck…" she murmured to herself, sweeping up the cereal on the floor. "Damn it all. I need a new job or a second one or something." She added quietly, starting to throw away the cereal.

Inuyasha, of course, heard everything from the dining room as he was piecing a chair back together. He frowned when he heard her words about her problems with money. _She should get enough from her job…wait. I forgot._ Now he turned sarcastic. _People who care for us _hanyou_ or _youkai_ don't get paid as much. I'll just send a couple maids to the store to get her some new food._ He finished his conversation with himself, putting the chair next to the table and starting to push the rest of them in.

_This is going to sound strange…but I think I might be falling for her._

_-_OO_-_

Inuyasha pulled into the driveway of his house, glancing in the review mirror to make sure Kagome was following him. She was. She pulled into it as well, her black Pathfinder slowing to a stop right beside him. He still couldn't believe he had admitted to himself that he liked her a lot. _What's wrong with me? I said no to all this damn stuff, especially since she looks like Kikyo did. _His eyes trailed on her as she got out of her car and started walking over with a not very happy look on her face.

"Why the hell are you making me stay over here?" She demanded, looking fairly annoyed and peering at Inuyasha through the open car window. "My house is fixed up. Sango could have stayed over or Miroku or even you if you're that worried about the stupid Shikon no Tama, as there's a guest room."

"Keh! It'll get better protection here, stupid," Inuyasha retorted, swinging the door open only to have it stopped by Kagome as she leaned on it. "Get out of the way, Higurashi." He was tempted to swing it open and send her flying anyway, but he knew he couldn't do that to her.

"What? Do you know you're not strong enough or something?" Kagome taunted cheerfully, showing how annoyed she was by taunting him. "Well screw you, 'cuz I'm going home." She left the side of the door and started back towards her own car.

Almost immediately, the half-demon was in front of her with a smirk. "Nice try, wench. You're not going anywhere."

"And who's gonna stop me?" Kagome challenged, walking around him.

Inuyasha smirked again and jumped in front of her, this time pinning her against the car. "Who else would?"

"Get the hell off me, Inuyasha," Kagome mumbled, struggling to duck under his arms or something. "What are you doing?" She began to sound panicked as Inuyasha leaned closer with a smirk, so that his face was inches away from hers.

Then he pulled away. "Come on, get your stuff," he sighed, rubbing the back of his head. _Damn. I'm stupid._ He thought as he went to the back of her car and popped the trunk open. _Keh! Damn it all to hell…_ he added silently as Kagome came around with narrowed eyes. She brushed past him to get her bag and then stepped away. As she started towards the Mansion, he gave into his mind. "Kagome?"  
Kagome stopped, glancing over her shoulder and surprised that he had called her by her first name. "What's up?"  
"Come here," he replied.

Kagome sighed, put her bag down, and edged over. "What the hell do you want, Takahashi?"

Inuyasha gave a small grin, leaning against her car. "What? I can't talk to you?"  
"About what?"  
"…Keh! You don't miss a beat, do ya?" he muttered, crossing his arms. "Look, don't get all pissed off with me, Kagome."

Kagome was immediately suspicious. "Why?"

Inuyasha gave another smirk, though he wanted to slam his head into the car out of embarrassment. "Look, we've only been out two times and all…but you know what?" _Damn it damn it damn it! _He cursed silently. How was he supposed to say this, especially since she didn't trust him? He couldn't help it! It wasn't his fault! The demon inside was starting to well up a bit. He just hoped it didn't rise completely, or Kagome would hate him.

"Spit it out already!" Kagome muttered, swallowing. _Okay, what's this about? He's scaring me…_

"Okay, okay," Inuyasha waved her statement off with a clawed hand. "I like you. Jeez."

Kagome's face erupted into a furious blush. He _liked_ her? She slapped her hands to her cheeks, her face red. "You…you _what_?"  
Inuyasha smirked at her reaction. "You heard me."

Kagome buried her face in her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment at his words. "Why the hell would you say that? Damn it all!"

Inuyasha couldn't help but give a dry laugh. _Just what I was thinking._ "Look, I can't help it, okay? My damn demon side likes you so it's not my fault."

Kagome sighed. "Don't I get a choice?"

"Nope."

"Fine then, works for me. At least you're not some bastard human that hates _youkai_ and _hanyou_."

Translation: _Okay, I like ya, too._

_-_OO_-_

Kagome dragged her bag in, her eyes wide with shock. She couldn't believe that the annoying yet famous Inuyasha Takahashi _liked_ her. "Damn it all…" she muttered, still blushing. Okay, so she liked him, too. But it wasn't love…_not yet, anyways._ A voice in the back of her head added. _Shut it_. She snapped.

When she heard someone come into the entryway, she looked up. It was Rin. And Rin was pale and looked shaken.

Inuyasha brushed past Kagome, his eyes narrowed. "Rin? What's wrong?"

"Inuyasha…?" Rin sniffled. Then she burst out into tears and said something that had Inuyasha jerk away in shock.

_"It's Inutaisho. He's dead."_

**A/N: Okay, so awkward confession moment XD Sorry about that, I had writer's block for that moment, but is it a good cliff hanger? And thoughts?**


	6. Inutaisho's Death

**A/N: Okay, so I thought that it was pretty cool that this story became more popular than my other stories in a matter of days . which brings me to this quick point. My other stories are on hold until I get an idea for them XD Except maybe for A Curtain of Love and Doubt. Will update that one soon. You're reviews are all so nice, so thanks for that and disclaimers!**

Inuyasha couldn't move; he was so shocked. Rin broke down and started crying again, while one of the silver haired demons -Kagome supposed it was Sesshomaru- came down and took her out of the house to probably comfort her. Inuyasha could hear his mother upstairs in hysterics and they could all hear Shippo wailing. But Inuyasha remained still.

Kagome, slightly scared at Inuyasha's reaction, gently touched his arm. "Inuyasha…?" she murmured, looking up at him worriedly.

Inuyasha forced himself to shake his head, eyes filling with grief. "I'm fine. I…I need to go see Mother…" he muttered, turning and starting in the direction of Izayoi.

Kagome remained where she was, staring after him. This was _not_ a good way for a relationship to start. She placed her bag on the ground gently before following him up the stairs. She followed the sounds of Shippo's wailing until she found Izayoi holding him tightly with Inuyasha standing beside both of them. With a determined look on her face, Kagome promised herself that she would help the family as much as she could.

Inuyasha glanced up at her when she walked over, then returned his gaze to his mother.

"Lady Izayoi?" Kagome said gently, touching the said woman's arm as she knelt down beside her. "I'm sorry about what happened."

Izayoi wiped some tears away from her eyes. "Its fine, my dear," she murmured, gently kissing Shippo's head. "Um, Kagome dear?"

"Yes?"  
"Could you please take Shippo home with you and take care of him until we've…fixed everything here?" Izayoi asked softly, taking a shaky breath. Kagome couldn't blame her. Her powerful, thousand year old husband… was dead.

Kagome nodded. "Of course. Come here, Shippo," she said, gently taking the crying boy from Izayoi's arms and standing up. "Lady Izayoi, can you take him to get packed while I go start up my car and put my bag back in? Inuyasha, come help me." Her goal was to distract them, even if only for a moment. And it seemed to work. Izayoi left with Shippo to pack up some of his things while Kagome took Inuyasha downstairs and to her bag. He helped her put it in, as it was pretty heavy, and then followed her in silence to the entryway of the house. She took Shippo from Izayoi, who then turned and left with a dazed look. Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha glanced down at her, ears twitching.

Kagome surprised him by raising her hand and touching his cheek with slim fingers. "Inuyasha, if you need me or Shippo or something, don't be afraid to ask, okay?" Then she removed her fingers and slipped through the door, Shippo in one arm and his items in the other. Shippo was sniffling, burying his face in her shoulder. Kagome couldn't help but feel as if he was her child. She loaded him into her car and climbed into the driver's seat, thinking.

She hadn't known the great Inu no Taisho Takahashi himself, but she _did _know that he was one of the most powerful demons in Japan, maybe even the world. And if he could be killed by –Kagome suspected –this Naraku guy, then who knows what else could happen.

_-_OO_-_

After getting Shippo settled into his new room, the guest room, and up for a nap, Kagome called Sango. "Sango?"

"Kagome! What's up? Need some romance help?"

"Nope, the opposite, as I think Inuyasha's already considering me his woman/girlfriend." Kagome replied, twisting a piece of fabric that had used to be her curtains in her hands. "Anyway, tell Miroku to come to the phone."

"How do you know he's here?"

"I just do."

A moment later, Miroku was on the phone. "What's wrong, Kagome?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "I don't know if Inuyasha should be the one telling you this or not, but Miroku, Inu no Taisho is dead."

There was a silence on the other side of the phone, then, "Thanks for telling me. I'm going over there now. Do you know what happened?"

Kagome shook her head, and then realized he wouldn't be able to see her do so. "No," she replied. "They didn't tell me anything other than that. That and Izayoi asked me to take Shippo into my care for a few days. Get my number from Sango and call me back when you find out what happened." She told him.

"Got it. Poor Izayoi," Miroku said, and then hung up.

A moment later, her phone vibrated and she looked down to see she had received a text message. She flipped open the phone, then bit her lip. "What the…who the hell would send this to _me_?"

_Death is inevitable._

_-_OO_-_

Inuyasha plopped down on a couch after slamming the door in Miroku's face. Now the damn monk chose to come back. Then he noticed Miroku came in anyway. "What the hell do you want?"  
"Hey, calm down! Kagome told me about the terrible thing that is happened. What exactly…" he trailed off, knowing Inuyasha would understand what he meant.

"Killed the old man?" Inuyasha growled, rolling his eyes angrily. He hadn't been exactly close with his father, but still. Inutaisho had been Inuyasha's dad, and Inuyasha hated the fact that he was dead. "We don't know. Sesshomaru thinks Naraku somehow got that sneaky friend of his, Ryukotsusei to do something to him. Sesshomaru found him just as Father's body disappeared." Demon bodies vanished a few moments after being killed. "Sesshomaru and I looked around, but it looks like that Ryukotsusei got away."

"Damn," Miroku muttered, rubbing his right hand subconsciously.

"Keh! I can't believe this! How the hell are we supposed to defeat Naraku?" Inuyasha blurted out suddenly, dog ears flattened. "It was obviously him himself who tore apart Kagome's apartment and attacked her, he's obviously behind the attack on Rin and Father…how the hell does he keep getting past our defenses?"

Miroku sighed, plopping down on the couch opposite of Inuyasha's claimed chair. "This isn't good. I don't want to involve Sango and her family in this. Her brother's all she has left besides Kirara. She's different from everyone else."

Inuyasha nodded, closing his eyes in frustration. "I know. I don't want Kagome involved in this, but with her refusing to hand over the Shikon no Tama, I have to keep her safe."  
"What, you don't have any feelings for her?"

"This isn't the time for that conversation, monk."

"Sure, sure. Do you?"

"Yeah, you could say that. That's another reason I have to keep her safe," Inuyasha replied softly, opening his eyes. "I can't lose another person after Kikyo." He glanced at Miroku. "You haven't told Sango about your hand yet, have you." He said it more as a statement, not a question.

"No. I don't plan on telling her until after we've killed that bastard Naraku," Miroku answered, eyes darkening. "I don't want Sango afraid to be near me because she's scared of being sucked up in my Wind Tunnel. We have to kill him. If we don't, we're all going to die. Including Sango and Kagome, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha nodded a growl building up in his throat. "If he kills Kagome, I'm going to kill him nice and slowly."

"Inuyasha, what if we thought up an ambush?"

Inuyasha glanced in surprise at his life-long friend. "What do you mean?"

"You're going to kill me for saying this, but…Kagome's going to be the bait, as she has the Shikon no Tama." At Inuyasha's murderous look, he put his hands in the air. "Hear me out! Okay, we'll set her up somewhere, right? That'll lure Naraku himself in, and you, Sesshomaru and I are going to be hiding in the shadows. Hopefully, one of us will kill him before he kills any of us or Kagome!"  
Inuyasha looked tempted for a moment, and then hit him across the head. "What the hell are you thinking?" He snarled, his golden eyes furious. "I am not putting her in any danger!"

"Okay, okay!" Miroku said quickly, terrified that his half-demon friend would attack. "Jeez. Took you less than a week to claim her as your woman, huh?"

"Shut up."

_-_OO_-_

Kagome got ready for work like any other normal day the next morning, though she was still slightly shaken up after the text message from the night before. She put on a nice black shirt that's sleeves ended just above the elbow, white jeans, white heels, and the Shikon no Tama. That wasn't getting left behind again.

"Shippo!" She sang, opening his new bedroom door. "Time for…school…" her enthusiasm faded when she found the little Shippo awake and sobbing into his hands. "Shippo?"

"I want…to…to…to go home!" Shippo wailed, scrubbing his eyes with small fists. "I want Uncle Taisho to be okay and I want Aunt Izayoi to be here and I want Inuyasha and Rin and Sesshomaru!" He continued to sob, his body quivering.

Kagome's smile disappeared and she walked over, gathering him in her arms. "Its okay, Shippo," she murmured, gently patting his head. "I want you to listen, okay?" When Shippo nodded, she continued. "Listen, Shippo. I know you're upset about your uncle passing on, but no matter what, nothing lives forever. He was going to pass on someday; no matter how many thousand years old he is, alright? You, me, Inuyasha, even Sesshomaru. Someday, we're all going to die. Some people just die a little sooner. Everyone needs to die so everyone can live, okay?"

Shippo was looking at her with wide eyes. "Really?"

Kagome nodded. "Yep."

A sudden snort caught her attention and in walked Inuyasha. "Keh! I don't plan on dying for a couple hundred years, wench. Neither should you, Shippo."

Kagome smiled brightly at the half-demon. "What are you doing here?"

"Driving you two to the school. What else?" he grunted in reply, rolling his eyes. He flashed a smirk at Kagome, dog ears twitching. "Now, are we going or not?"

But Kagome shook her head. "Inuyasha, Shippo and I still have to eat; he has to get dressed and brush his teeth, and pack his bag. We are nowhere near ready to leave yet." She turned to Shippo. "Shippo, how about I pull out some clothes for you, you get dressed, then come down and watch some T.V. while I make you some breakfast, okay?" Shippo nodded and Kagome quickly found some clothes for the boy. She laid them out, and then walked out the door after Inuyasha. "If you need help, just call, Shippo!"

Kagome walked downstairs and into the kitchen, starting to pull out pots and pans while Inuyasha watched her carefully. After a bit, Kagome became uncomfortable. "Okay, what the hell do you want, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha looked at her skeptically. "Why the hell do I need to want something, Kagome?" he retorted back, his ears flattening. "Jeez. You're basically my girlfriend now, ain't ya?"

Kagome blushed furiously, returning to her cooking. She went silent, her face bright red, until she came across a problem. "Do you want some eggs and bacon, Inuyasha?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder at the said _hanyou_.

Inuyasha nodded. "Sure."

She went back to making the food. After she finished, she placed it all onto three plates, then set them at the table. She called for Shippo, and then settled down at the table beside Inuyasha. Shippo scrambled onto his end chair happily, eyes bright. "It looks yummy!" He announced, and then began scarfing down the food.

Kagome picked at her food, her mind drifting back to the text message. She took a bite every few minutes, and then finally pushed away the food angrily. Shippo immediately asked for it, and she said he could have it. She felt it, too; Inuyasha's intense golden gaze on her head as she propped it on her hands.

She still found it weird that he considered her his woman, his girlfriend. Kagome hadn't had a very good relationship. The first one had lasted only two days. The second one had been abusive. So on and so on. She'd hated her first kiss; that was for sure. By now, Kagome was shaking her head to herself, the two males in the house watching her curiously.

After they were all finished eating, Kagome sent Shippo up the stairs to brush his teeth while she cleared the table. The message was still on her mind and she winced as she dropped a steak knife, the blade nicking her finger. "Ow…" she muttered, reaching for a paper towel.

She had, of course, forgotten that Inuyasha was there. His eyes shot towards her at the smell of blood and he was suddenly at her side, peering over her shoulder at her tiny wound. "What did you do?"  
Kagome jumped at Inuyasha's sudden appearance, but answered, "I dropped a steak knife. Nothing bad." She grabbed the paper towel and carefully wrapped it around the wound, pressing it there for a few moments so that the bleeding stopped. Then she tossed the paper towel and went back to doing the dishes, Inuyasha still right behind her, watching curiously.

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder when Shippo appeared, backpack on his shoulder. "Ready, kid?"

Shippo nodded. He had definitely gotten better compared to earlier that morning. "Let's go to school! It's Game Day, right Kagome?"

Kagome laughed, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Yep! Maybe Inuyasha can help us set up this morning if he wants."

Inuyasha growled for a moment, but Shippo's puppy eyes got to him. "Fine. I'll help."

Shippo cheered and darted out the door.

Kagome smiled and started after him. "Did you drive the car or the limo?"  
"Limo," Inuyasha replied with a smirk. Then he surprised her, once again, but gently entwining his fingers with hers.

_-_OO_-_

At the school, Kagome slipped out of the limo with Shippo after Inuyasha. They walked into the school, and Kagome huffed at every person that stared at her. It was the usual. But not everybody had to exactly stare at her like she had grown another head. So what if she was carrying a _youkai_ child? So what if she was going out with the famous _hanyou_ Inuyasha Takahashi? _Screw them all. _She thought, walking into the classroom behind him. She could hear Inuyasha's low growling, and knew he was thinking around the same thing.

"Damn people," Inuyasha muttered, confirming Kagome's suspicions.

"Okay!" Kagome said with a bright smile, putting Shippo on the ground. "Shippo, go pull out all the games, okay? I have to –" She broke off as her phone vibrated. Inuyasha watched her with a curious expression as she opened it, only to have her face pale. "Damn!" she cursed, reeling her arm back to throw the phone at the floor.

Inuyasha caught her arm and slipped the phone out of her grip to look at the screen. Immediately his gaze darkened. _Death is inevitable. _When Shippo started trying to see, he growled, "Shippo, go get those games out of the closet."

Shippo, looking slightly hurt, nodded and scrambled over to the closet to get the games.

Kagome was glaring at the floor, shaking with anger and a bit of fear. "Damn it all," she hissed, snatching back her phone and looking tempted to throw it again.

But Inuyasha took it again and typed in a reply to the message: _stay the hell away from her._ Then he sent it, snapped it shut, and handed it back to Kagome. "Kagome, if that bastard bothers you again, tell me. I'm not going to let anything get you, got it?"  
Kagome gave a shaky nod. "I was going to tell you, but I couldn't find the right time…I got a message like that yesterday, too."

Inuyasha growled angrily. "I promise they won't get near you, okay?"

Kagome nodded as Shippo returned with a huge pile of games that was about to fall over. She hurried over to him and took a few. "You didn't have to take so many, Shippo!" She exclaimed, color returning to her pale face. "Come on, Inuyasha; help us spread the games out."

Inuyasha nodded and walked over to take a few games from Kagome. _She's good at hiding things…_

_-_OO_-_

"Ami! Please share with Shippo, okay? I know you both like to play tricks, but no _kitsune_ magic in school, got it? And Naoki, it's okay if you lose; you just have to try again, okay?" Kagome was exhausted from comforting all the children that lost, breaking up a few fights with the _youkai_ children, and things like that. It was overall a fun day, but you got tired after a while.

Finally the lunch break came and Kagome sent the children off to go eat while she ate in the classroom herself. Just as she took a bite of her sandwich, her phone rang. She hesitantly picked it up and opened it. "Hello?"  
"Got the info you wanted!" Came Miroku's cheerful voice.

Kagome sighed in relief, quickly adding Miroku as a contact. "You scared me! Okay, so what happened?"

Miroku's voice dropped considerably as she heard a familiar voice in the background yell. "Sorry, Inuyasha doesn't know who I'm talking to and I think we'd both prefer if he didn't know…anyway, Inuyasha said they don't know what killed Inutaisho. Just that one of Naraku's guys, Ryukotsusei killed him…I'M TALKING TO SANGO YOU IDIOT!" he suddenly yelled as a scuffling for the phone began.

The scuffling ended and Miroku's triumphant voice returned. "I apologize, _Sango_, I must leave this conversation." Then the call ended.

Kagome couldn't stop laughing until the children came back in.

_-_OO_-_

"Okay, Shippo are we ready to leave?" Kagome asked cheerfully, having forgotten about what had happened that morning. "I'm sure Inuyasha's waiting for us!"

Shippo nodded, jumping up and down. "Yeah! Let's go!"

Kagome took his hand and began leading him down the hall, holding onto her folder full of school work and such. "When we get home, you can watch some T.V. or something while I grade everyone's work, then I'll make dinner, then we'll do your homework, okay? I won't give you answers, but I'll help if you need it."

"Okay, Kagome!" Shippo exclaimed, skipping ahead to the limo that was awaiting them. Then he stopped. "Hey, Kagome? Can I sit in the very back by myself? It even has a window to separate me from you guys! Please? Pretty please?"  
Kagome gave him a weird look. "Why do you want to sit back there by yourself?"

"Because I want to try it!"

"Alright, you can!"

"Yay!" Shippo ran to the end of the limo and climbed in a set of doors, looking happy as a clam.

Kagome laughed and slipped into the part of the limo that had a familiar man with dog ears sitting in it. "Hey, Inuyasha," she said with a bright smile, closing the door behind her. The limo began to move.

Inuyasha flashed a smirk at her, golden eyes bright. "Yo. Why's Shippo in the way back?" He added, curiosity invading his smug tone.

Kagome gave another laugh, leaning back against her seat beside him. "He wanted to try it, so I said he could. Nothing bad," She answered, nudging him playfully with an elbow.

Inuyasha grunted, gently grabbing her arm and moving it so she couldn't reach his ribs with her elbow. Then he entwined his fingers with hers, his face falling into a smirk. "Care to explain what you and Miroku were talking about earlier?"

Kagome groaned, slapping her free hand to her head. "You heard us?"

"Of course, Kagome. I'm _hanyou_ remember? I have better hearing then any of you seem to notice. Now what were you talking about?" Inuyasha demanded, eyes gleaming with a hint of…possessiveness?

Kagome started to giggle, covering her mouth with her free hand as Inuyasha still gripped the other one. "Are you…jealous Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh! No!"  
Kagome began to laugh even harder. "You are! Oh my gosh, you're jealous of Miroku! Why? We were…talking about…Sango!" She gasped between laughs, holding her stomach.

Inuyasha's grip tightened slightly on her hand. "Why Sango?"

Kagome quickly made up the lie. "Miroku was telling me that he likes Sango quite a bit," she told him. "I promise he wasn't trying anything."

Inuyasha growled lightly, and Kagome leaned against him. "Trust me, Inuyasha; I would have been complaining if he'd been trying anything." She told him as the car slowed to a halt. "Now, are you coming in or are you going home?"

"Keh. I'm coming in." he muttered, undoing the seatbelt and slipping out of the limo, holding the door open for Kagome. Kagome slipped out as well; Shippo climbed out of the limo further down, then scrambled over, yelling, "I'm never riding with you guys again! I like it back there!"

Kagome laughed, causing Inuyasha's ears to prick up. She walked up to the front door and unlocked it, Inuyasha right behind her with Shippo on his shoulder. Kagome grumbled as she fumbled with the key, and then managed to finally click the lock open.

Shippo darted through the door and towards the T.V., while Kagome went to the kitchen table, Inuyasha trailing behind her. She settled down with a smile and emptied her folder onto it, then groaned at the sight of all the work. "I didn't realize that I still had so much. I skipped yesterday because of Shippo, so I have to do it all today." She complained, pulling out a red pen.

Inuyasha settled down beside her with a curious expression. "That's a lot of work for kindergarteners."

"Yep. They're pretty smart for their age." Kagome replied with another groan.

"Here…" Inuyasha grabbed a stack and the answer key and began checking the stack. "I'll help."

Kagome smiled in relief. "Thanks, Inuyasha!" She said, and then went back to correcting her own stack of work.

After a while, both finally finished. Kagome got up and started preparing dinner, which would consist of a simple sandwich. Kagome was obviously exhausted after her long day of watching the kids, but she still had to help Shippo with the page of math problems she had assigned two days ago. She finished making the dinner, and placed three plates on the table; one in front of Inuyasha, one in front of Shippo, and one down for herself.

She yawned before taking a big bite of her sandwich. Soon enough they were all finished. Kagome took the dishes and cleaned them off, then sat back down at the table where Shippo already had his homework spread out. "Okay, Shippo." She murmured, propping her head on her hands while she rested her elbows on the flat surface. "Need any help?"

Shippo nodded and pointed to a problem. "With this one…"

_-_OO_-_

Finally after laying Shippo to bed, Kagome realized that Inuyasha was still there. She groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Inuyasha, are you planning on staying the night here or something? If not, can you please go home? Because I'm really, really tired, okay?"

Inuyasha, once again surprised her, by grinning and saying, "Mind if I stay?"

Kagome waved a hand. "The couch is over there. If you dare suggest sleeping with me, I'm going to tell Miroku he has a new lecher as a friend."

Inuyasha pretended to be disappointed. "Oh come on, it's not like I'd try anything. But okay, I get the point. I'll sleep on your couch."

Kagome laughed and patted the top of his head, tempted to touch one of his dog ears. She forced herself not to and went upstairs to her room.

**A/N: Do you understand what I mean if I say I got bored so I showered and got dressed? XD Anyhow, thoughts?**


	7. Saturday

**A/N: Okay, so I had to write something as I just had a total melt down for no exact reason, and I think I'm partially still having it. Ugh. Sorry about this weird Author's Note, but my point is I'm going to put some strange moments in this, and I apologize ahead of time. Thanks to reviewers, and disclaimers (including any songs I rand. Special thanks to Warm-Amber92, who reminded me that I kind of need to say why Taisho died .**

Kagome woke up the next morning and yawned. "Great!" She cheered. "Saturday! No school! And then after this week is everyone's summer vacation! Yes!" She was extremely cheerful as she threw on a normal but tight-fitting T-Shirt, as well as some nice tight jeans as well. She walked past Shippo's room, not bothering to wake him, and slipped down the stairs, practically skipping into the kitchen, where she immediately started cooking some breakfast as well as turning on the radio, which was playing Owl City's _Fireflies. "You would not believe your eyes, if ten million fireflies, lit up the world as I fell asleep!" _ She sang along as she put some eggs in the pan.

Not noticing as a sleep-heavy Inuyasha dragged himself into the kitchen, she continued singing along to different parts of the songs. _"It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep, 'Cause everything is not as it seems…'Cause I get a thousand hugs, from ten thousand lightning bugs, As they try to teach me how to dance…"_

"What…the hell…are you doing up at eight in the morning on a weekend?" the tired _hanyou_ asked through a yawn, his ears pricking up at the sound of her singing voice. "How come you can't be like this every day?"  
"Because it's the weekend!" Kagome cheered, then joined in again with the song, _"To ten million fireflies, I'm weird 'Cause I hate goodbyes, I got misty eyes as they said farewell (they said farewell)."_

Inuyasha plopped down in a chair, watching his woman dance around the kitchen cooking a huge breakfast up. He yawned again, his eyelids drooping against his golden eyes. "You need to stay up more on the weekends. Maybe then we can sleep in."

Kagome sidled over to him and grinned mischievously. She reached up and gently tugged on his ear as another song started up; Every_ Time We Touch_ by Cascada. Then she danced away as he swatted lazily at her hand, singing along again as she started the bacon. _"'Cos every time we touch I feel the static, and every time we kiss, I reach for the sky! Can't you hear my heart beat slowly, I can't let you go! Want you in my life…" _She grinned and started popping toast into the toaster. "What do you want to do today?" She asked her _hanyou_ boyfriend.

Inuyasha shot her a slightly irritated look and folded his hands behind his head. "Sleep…?"

"Inuyasha! Come on!"  
"Okay, okay. We can drop Shippo off with Rin and go out or something."

"Yay!" Kagome cheered, slapping a piece of bacon into her pan and singing to the next song, _Stuck Like Glue _by Sugarland. _"Absolutely no one knows me better… no one that can make me feel so good… how did we stay so long together…when everybody…"_

**~A/N: You can see my strange mood coming into place with the music I'm listening to .~**

A few moments later, Kagome was just enjoying herself and dancing around the kitchen while spooning food onto the plates. "Come on, Yash, dance with me!" the twenty two year old woman exclaimed as she laughed.

Inuyasha just growled in a gentle sort of way. "I'd rather not, Kagome, as I am still trying to get over the fact that you are up and dancing this early in the morning."

Kagome refused to take no for an answer, however, because as soon as she was finished spooning food onto plates, she grabbed him by a clawed hand and pulled him out of the chair then started randomly dancing around the kitchen and singing along to the songs again.

Inuyasha just chuckled and went to wake up Shippo.

_-_OO_-_

After breakfast, Kagome slipped on some heels and the Shikon no Tama, brushed her hair, grabbed her purse, and was good to go. "Let's go!" She announced. "You can get changed while we drop Shippo off!" she added to Inuyasha, gently tugging on an ear again. They were almost impossible _not_ to touch now, as they were all fuzzy and soft and silky.

"Enough with the ears, wench," Inuyasha snapped without meaning it. They were outside now, waiting for the limo to come as Shippo wanted to ride in the very end again. Inuyasha didn't mind. Alone time with Kagome? Worked for him. "If you keep tugging on 'em, I'm gonna lose them."

Kagome grinned and poked his arm. "I shall someday get them again."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as the limo pulled up. He and Kagome made sure Shippo had gotten in, and then climbed in themselves. Inuyasha slammed the door behind them, smirking. "Shall we take the limo to wherever the hell we decide to go just to show off?"

Kagome laughed, buckling herself in in the seat beside Inuyasha's. "That would be absolutely hilarious to see the look on some of their faces."

"Limo it is."  
They fell into a comfortable silence, Inuyasha absent mindedly playing with a lock of Kagome's hair while she leaned on him. Kagome was smiling though, at the image of people seeing a limo pull into a simple restaurant.

Then Kagome's thoughts drifted into darker waters. "Hey, Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"Nobody ever told me… why did whatever happened to your dad happen?" Kagome asked softly, giving a light shudder when she felt Inuyasha's breath on her cheek. Truthfully, she was slightly scared at what his reaction would be to her question.

Inuyasha stiffened slightly, but continued fingering her hair. "Miroku thinks it's because he was the strongest demon in our family. Though I don't know how exactly the idiots killed him, I hope it wasn't so that there would be less protection around the Sacred Jewel, because then that would have been useless killing him. Nobody's getting near you." He said, a dog ear twitching.

Kagome nodded in understanding. "That would make sense." She sighed as Inuyasha put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. She snuggled as close as she could get, then smiled. _I completely trust Inuyasha. I'm never going to get hurt, no matter what those messages say. _

_-_OO_-_

"Rin!" Inuyasha called as they walked through the front door of the large Mansion. "You there?"

Rin came sliding down on the banisters of the stairs, looking much better than the last time Kagome had seen her. "What's up?"

"Can you watch Shippo while we go out?" Inuyasha asked, already heading up the stairs.

Rin nodded with a laugh. "Of course. You sound like a married couple with a kid, Inuyasha!" She added, calling after him.

Inuyasha replied with a "Keh!" before vanishing around a corner.

Kagome smiled, turning to Rin. "I'm glad to see you look better." She said, tilting her head.

Rin smiled sadly. "I guess I was just scared when he died. I mean, that could have been Sesshomaru for all I know. I know it's still sad, but is it wrong that I feel…relieved that it was him and not Sesshomaru?" She asked, looking worried.

Kagome shook her head. "No, it's not. You love Sesshomaru, so you can't help it, Rin. I would feel the same way if that was Inuyasha, Rin. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Rin nodded as Inuyasha slid down the banister the same way Rin had done. "Ready to go, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded, teasingly tugging on his ear again when he was by her. "Yep! Let's go see the amused faces of people when we get out of the limo! See ya later, Rin!" She said as she followed Inuyasha back out the front door.

In the limo, they settled into the same position they had been in on the way to the Takahashi Mansion.

_-_OO_-_

As soon as the limo pulled into the parking lot of a popular yet poor diner, Kagome was delighted and amused to see all the people pile out of the diner to see which famous person had come. She started giggling, covering her mouth wither her hands. "Is this what happens every time you go to a store, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha sighed, rubbing his temples. "Normally. Now come on before they all die of suspension. He opened the door and slid out, turning around to help Kagome out. He couldn't help but show off slightly, including showing off Kagome a bit as well. He smirked lightly as they walked into the restaurant, people gaping after them. He got them a booth –privately of course, so they wouldn't have some random idiots staring at them while they tried to enjoy themselves and eat.

A few minutes after sitting down, a waiter came for their orders. He obviously annoyed Inuyasha to death because he kept trying to flirt with Kagome. Finally, Inuyasha snapped, "If you don't want to lose your head, I suggest you take our order."  
Kagome couldn't stop laughing for a full four minutes after he left. "Jealous?" she teased, reaching over and flicking one of his ears.

"Haha, very funny." He replied sarcastically, catching her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers. "He looked like he was gonna ask you out or something."

"And I would have said no, of course, Inuyasha." She replied, grinning as the waiter returned a bit later with their food. "Thanks!" She told him, and then began to hungrily dig into her food.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Didn't we just eat little over two hours ago, Kagome?"

"Yeah, but I'm hungry!" she replied with another grin, taking another bit of her food. "Yum!"

That's when multiple things seemed to go wrong.

Her phone suddenly rang, and Inuyasha snatched it up before she could answer it. He flipped it open and demanded, "Who the hell are you and what the hell do you want?"

There was a hysterical voice on the other end, sounding strangely enough like a man.

"Yeah, yeah, she's right here," Inuyasha replied, looking and sounding puzzled as he handed over the phone.

Kagome took it and asked, "Kagome here. Who is this as my boyfriend decided to be a jerk and take my phone?" She was moving her plate as she said this.

Her face suddenly paled and she dropped the plate, which landed on the floor and shattered against the tiled floor. Around the same time, her phone slipped from her hand, and her eyes went wide with shock.

Inuyasha's gaze darkened with concern immediately, and he was quickly beside her, gently shaking her. "Kagome? Kagome! What's wrong!"

Kagome just leaned down and picked up her phone in an almost robotic sort of way, her face white. She put it back to her ear and whispered, "Sota, are…are you sure?"

The voice on the other side came again.

Kagome murmured something in return, closed the phone, and then lowered her head onto her arms, which rested on the table. Inuyasha growled low in his throat, eyes bright with concern. "Kagome! What the hell happened?"

Kagome lifted her head, eyes dull. "My brother Sota just…just called and said…told me…" Her voice cracked and shook as she continued. "Sota…he told me my…my mom just died…"

_-_OO_-_

An hour later found Kagome sitting on her couch, face buried in her hands. She was sobbing. _I can't believe…that I wasn't there when she passed on. I knew she was sick…I should have been there before she…before she died._ She thought, making her sob even harder. _It's all my fault! She'll never forgive me! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!_

Inuyasha, who had been talking to Sango about how he could calm Kagome down -he had had no luck, as Kagome never got upset -, walked into the living room and sat next to her on the couch. "Kagome…" he murmured, looking at her anxiously.

Kagome lifted her head, eyes full of tears. "I should have been there…" she mumbled through the tears. "Momma…she was always there for us…and I wasn't there for her. When Dad died, she got us to get over his death, saying that he would want us to move on. Same with Gramps, even our old cat Buyo. But I wasn't there for her, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha remained quiet, then gently reached over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest and holding her closely. "Kagome, I'm sure she doesn't blame you." He murmured, pressing his lips to the top of her head to comfort her. "Remember what you told Shippo? About everyone dying eventually?"

Kagome pressed her face against his chest, seeking the comfort that he gave. "Yeah…"

"Kagome, think about that, okay? Everyone dies, like you said. You said your mom was sick. At least she's not sick anymore, right?"

Kagome nodded and snuggled even closer, as close as she could. "I guess," she sighed, the beating of Inuyasha's heart soothing her. She could feel her eyelids drooping, and she guessed that she had five seconds before she fell asleep. "Thanks, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's lips curled into a smile against her head. "You're welcome, Kagome," he murmured as she fell into a light slumber. He shifted her carefully so that she was cradled against him, watching her eyes dart beneath her eyelids as she began dreaming. She was Kagome. His. His Kagome.

_-_OO_-_

A few days later, Kagome left to go to her mother's funeral, leaving a sub to take care of her class for the last of the school year. Sub meaning Rin, as nobody else was willing to. Inuyasha stayed at Kagome's watching over the Shikon no Tama and her house, as she had decided she could trust him enough to watch over both. Shippo went back to the Mansion and his family.

When Kagome returned, Inuyasha met her at the airport. Her mother had moved with Sota to some hospital in the country on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, America. Sota had told them that she had wanted to be cremated there, so that was what they had done.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cheered when she saw him at the airport, lugging a suitcase behind her. Inuyasha grinned and when she reached him, she threw her arms around him happily.

Inuyasha eyed her warily, gently pulling her away. "Are you feeling alright? You just got back from your mom's funeral and you're acting like you've had the best luck in the world."

Kagome's smile faltered slightly. "I thought about what you said and agreed, that's all. Momma and Dad would have wanted us to be happy, so I'm going to be happy. Sota met a girl in America, so he's staying there with her. So I came back because I'm happiest here with you and my other friends."

Inuyasha couldn't help the smile that flickered at her words. "Well, come on, wench," he said, handing over the Shikon no Tama as requested. "I think Sango and Miroku have a welcome home party planned or something. Those two have gotten pretty close despite Miroku's womanizing habits." He added thoughtfully, scratching the back of his head as they walked outside and towards his car.

"Sango can't shut up about him," Kagome agreed.

Inuyasha started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "You know, I think Kohaku and my mother are hitting it off or something. Sango's brother's become intent on protecting her for Shippo. Shippo asked him to, so he does it. It's kind of funny. Kohaku's become like another son to Mother." Inuyasha said suddenly, turning around a corner with a sharp twist of the wheel.

"I can see that," Kagome said thoughtfully, imagining it in her head. "Yep. Kohaku's like that."

They rode in a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive. Inuyasha pulled into Kagome's driveway, and gently poked her with a claw. "Hurry up and dump your stuff. Shippo wanted me to drag you over as soon as possible."

Kagome laughed and obeyed. She walked inside, put her stuff on her bed, and then came back outside, locking the door behind her. "Okay, let's go," she said buckling herself in again.

They headed to Takahashi Mansion, Kagome singing along loudly to any song that popped up on the radio. After a couple songs, Inuyasha snorted. "Kagome, do you know every song that's ever been written or something?"

"Yep!" Kagome replied cheekily. "I love to listen to the radio. Music makes me feel better, so I put it on for the kids at the school."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, pulling into the Mansion's two mile long drive way…only to slam on the breaks and leap out of the car. He slammed the door shut after growling for her to stay in, then darted in the direction of the Mansion. Kagome watched after him in confusion, and then frowned when he returned with Shippo a moment later. "What's going on…" she trailed off when she saw the look of grief on Inuyasha's face and the sobbing Shippo.

Inuyasha turned to face her, eyes hardening with fury. "That damn bastard struck again while Rin and Sesshomaru were out. There's a damn miasma coating everything."

Kagome examined his face. "Where are Izayoi and Kohaku?"

One look was all it took.

"I…I need to call Sango…"

**A/N: I know, I know. It's short, has a probably cheesy ending, and all that. But I'm exhausted, I have this DAMN ANNOYING dog whining in a very annoying tone because she thinks she's the most important thing in the world and she doesn't even belong to me. So thoughts?**


	8. First We Kiss, Then I Crash

**A/N: Semi-sort of refreshed after being woken up at four thirty in the morning :D And I know XD I've killed so many peeps in such short time, but the story's not over yet :D I got my latest plan for this chapter where I hope you all hate me because that'll be a good thing (I think XD) and then some other stuff, but anyways! Disclaimers! Thanks to all reviewers!**

"Sango…" Miroku murmured, soothingly rubbing the said woman's back. "It's okay…"

Sango, still in shock slightly, was crying silently, her eyes still wide from surprise at learning that her brother had been killed trying to protect Inuyasha's mother. Which hadn't worked because of the miasma. Both Kohaku and Izayoi were dead, Inuyasha and Sango had both gone into shock, Shippo was once again wailing, and Miroku and Kagome were running around, trying to comfort the three.

Kagome admitted to it, but since Inuyasha was a dog demon…she gently rubbed one of Inuyasha's ears in hope that it might help. Instead, it seemed to piss him off. He growled furiously until Kagome released his ear, although the woman was skipping with glee on the inside at getting to rub one of his ears. "Inuyasha, come on," she murmured, starting to get worried. "You're scaring me."

Inuyasha just growled again, glowering furiously at the carpet. _Damn it all! Mother…DAMN! _He snarled out loud, then darted out of the room, slamming doors as he left the house that belonged to Sango.

Kagome looked after him with a mixture of hurt, pain, and guilt. She turned to Shippo to soothe him with her speech again, hoping that it would help with Sango as well as Shippo. "Shhhh…" she murmured, rubbing his head. She knew that the death of Izayoi had left a bigger toll on everyone then Inutaisho's death had. Inuyasha had obviously been as close to his mother as Kagome had been to her own. Shippo was practically her other son instead of a nephew. And then Kohaku was also gone. Poor Sango had practically mothered him herself. And then there was Miroku, who had known both just as well as Kagome had.

"Damn bastard," Miroku hissed, wrapping his arms around Sango to comfort her as she started sobbing quietly. "That was Naraku's miasma. I'd bet my life on it."

"Well don't bet that," Kagome retorted, tucking some stray hair behind her ear. "If you do that, you might actually die."  
Miroku gave a dry laugh. "Sometimes I think it would be better…" he trailed off, staring at his right hand. "Then I wouldn't be stuck with this."

"You don't want your hand?" Kagome asked, confused.

"No, no, no, I mean the curse in it. My hand was cursed by Naraku. Or my grandfather to be more precise. There's what we call a Wind Tunnel in it, Kagome. It sucks up anything and everything, and if I don't get rid of it soon, it'll destroy me." Miroku replied, his grip tightening on Sango. "I haven't told Sango yet because I don't want her scared to come near me. I doubt she'll remember me saying this right now because of everything that's happened, but you can't tell her."

Kagome nodded. "I won't. Watch Shippo, I'm going to go Inuyasha, Sesshomaru and Rin. It's time we started planning." She set Shippo down beside Miroku and Sango, then walked outside with determination. They would destroy Naraku. If it was the last thing she did, it would be to destroy him.

She easily found Inuyasha by his silver hair and red shirt. He was sitting in a tree, glowering at the branches. "Inuyasha…?" she called, crossing her arms and looking up at him. "Can you call Sesshomaru and Rin, tell them where to come over to, and come inside? You're…kind of…scaring me, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha peered down at her, golden eyes guilty. "Sure. Whatever." He pulled out his phone, typed in a number, and then pressed it against a dog ear. "Yo. Sesshomaru? Be careful how you tell Rin, but listen…Naraku somehow got a damn miasma to our place and Mother and Sango's brother, Kohaku, are dead. Kagome wants us all here for some reason or another, so get over here." He gave his brother Sango's address, then hung up. He jumped down, landing next to Kagome.

Kagome gave a wary smile, sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "It's time to bring down the sucker…"

Inuyasha nodded, then pulled Kagome into a tight embrace, crushing her against his chest. His face became buried in her hair as he breathed in her scent. "Now I know why Sesshomaru doesn't let Rin out of his sight," he murmured into her hair.

Kagome smiled a true smile now. "Inuyasha, I promise I'm not going anywhere. And like you said, nobody's getting near me."

Inuyasha nodded, then pulled away as a car pulled up. "That was fast," he called as Rin and Sesshomaru slipped out of the car. Rin's face was an angry red, her eyes gleaming with a scary kind of fury. Sesshomaru was calm and collected as well as icy cold as usual.

Kagome narrowed her head. "Time for some planning, guys. We're bringing Naraku down."

_-_OO_-_

Six hours of planning later with a determined Kagome, serious Inuyasha, icy Sesshomaru, scary-kind-of-furiousness Rin, a dull Sango, an agreeable Miroku, and a sleeping Shippo, they had their plan in place.

"Okay, let's write this down," Sango said, pulling out a paper and pencil from a drawer before returning to her friend's side. "Okay…"

_Sesshomaru: (Miroku, Inuyasha) Distract/Kill Naraku, guards, etc._

_ Rin: (Shippo) Stay with Shippo_

_ Shippo: (Rin) Stay at home with Rin and nap, play, etc._

_ Miroku: (Sesshomaru, Inuyasha) Distract/Kill Naraku, guards, etc._

_ Sango: (Kagome) Protect Shippo and Rin_

_ Kagome: (Sango) Protect Shippo and Rin_

_ Inuyasha: (Miroku, Sesshomaru) Distract/Kill Naraku, guards, etc._

"So we have the roles of who's doing what," Kagome announced, scratching her head while leaning on Inuyasha. "Should we write down steps so we can all get it or do we have the plan?"

"Got it," Miroku, Inuyasha, and Sango piped up at the same time, Inuyasha with a grin. Rin, Sesshomaru, and Shippo all nodded in agreement with them and Kagome rolled up the paper. "Okay. Now, where will we women stay since you men refuse to let us come with you?"

Sango began grumbling again about how she should go, because she had her Hiraikotsu and Kirara, which was no different than Miroku's sutras (she hadn't remembered Kagome and Miroku's conversation as Miroku had suspected), Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga, and Sesshomaru's Bakusaiga. "We can stay here or at your place, Kagome. Not Takahashi Mansion because we don't know if there's any miasma left." Her strong tone wavered. "We can't even have a funeral for them because that kind of miasma melts everything…"

Kagome patted her head with a smirk. "That's why this plan isn't going to fail. 'Cause Inuyasha and Miroku aren't gonna let this go without a bit of payback."

"Exactly," Miroku agreed, smirking as well. "Naraku's killed far too many innocent people. It's about time we returned the favor."

Kagome went into the kitchen to prepare a small and quick lunch so the plan could be put into action. It wasn't winter, so the days were longer and they had enough time for the plan to work. After finishing making some sandwiches for everyone, she walked back into the living room to find Inuyasha staring at Miroku, Sango, Rin, and Sesshomaru with a disgusted look. Shippo was out cold on the floor.

The reason behind Inuyasha's look had Kagome struggling not to drop the plate of sandwiches from laughing. Rin was giving Sesshomaru a sweet kiss on the lips while Sango had thrown herself at Miroku. Kagome started laughing a full out belly laugh after setting the plate down, struggling to quiet it as Inuyasha glowered at her for a moment before breaking into his own grin.

It was nice to know that laughter was possible after all that had happened.

"Do you even know where the guy lives?" Kagome asked as she followed Inuyasha out of the house after Miroku and Sesshomaru three minutes later.

"Sure. Just like he knows where we live," Inuyasha replied, throwing his arm around Kagome's shoulder.

"Where then?"

"Err, I believe he lives a ways away that way." He pointed in the eastern direction.

Kagome groaned. "You don't know where he lives? How the hell is this going to work?"

"Sesshomaru does know where he lives for sure, Kagome," Inuyasha sighed, using one hand to pop his neck. "I gotta go. I'll see you later, 'kay?"

Kagome nodded. Then with a small blush, she quickly reached up and lightly kissed his lips before dancing into Sango's house.

Inuyasha stared after her in surprise. Then he grinned like an idiot and sprinted towards the car, scrambling in like a kid on Christmas morning.

Miroku glanced from the window to the half-demon. "What's got you so happy?"  
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and huffed at Inuyasha's reply.

"My girlfriend finally kissed me."

_-_OO_-_

Kagome laughed as she pranced into the kitchen, where Sango was heating up a pot of her famous delicious tea. Sango gave her a worried look. "Are you okay?"

"Just peachy, Sango!" Kagome replied with a grin. "So what are we going to do while they're gone?"  
"I was thinking something along the lines of either taking Shippo shopping to keep him distracted, bake, or sleep," Rin said as she came into the kitchen.

"That work, Kags?" Sango asked, finished washing the dishes.

"Of course," Kagome replied, pulling out her car keys. "Let's stop by my place and ride in my brand new car, since you both have old ones." She teased, smirking slightly.

"Be nice, Kags!" Sango whined, glaring out the window at her old ancient white car. "I'm trying to convince Miroku to use Inuyasha's money to get me a new one!"

"Hey! No using Inuyasha!" Kagome replied, gently smacking the back of her head. "Let's go!"

They all clambered into Sango's ancient car to get over to Kagome's house. On the way there, Kagome turned on the radio and the four of them randomly sang along, enjoying themselves immensely. Kagome laughed cheerfully as Shippo stumbled over the words for a minute before picking it up again. "Go, Shippo!" She cheered. Sango and Rin echoed her. Shippo grinned with a blush coating his small cheeks as they stopped at Kagome's house. Sango pulled into the driveway and they all climbed out…only to pile into Kagome's large SUV.

Kagome went into the driver's seat, Sango called 'shotgun', and Rin and Shippo sat in the back. They all drove to the store.

Once there, they immediately went to the section with all the baking items. Shippo jumped up and down , searching for all the stuff he wanted. "Sango, can we get some of these? Oh! And this?"  
Kagome laughed, helping Sango pull stuff of shelves and fill up the shopping cart. "So who's paying?"  
"Easy," Rin dug in her wallet and held up a credit card between two fingers. "I share the Takahashi bank account. I can pay for almost anything in the world."

Sango's eyes widened. "Can you get me a new car?" She pleaded, giving Rin her puppy eyes. "Pretty please?"

"I guess we're going car shopping next."

"Yay!" both Sango and Shippo cheered.

**~A/N: Okay, that was a cheesy paragraph meant as a filler for the chapter XD~**

_-_OO_-_

Inuyasha was sprawled in the grass beside Miroku, both watching lazily as Sesshomaru slew any demon guard that came their way. Sesshomaru had gone into his true form, looking tempted to snap up Inuyasha and Miroku whenever they tried to help. "This is what Kagome meant by working together?" Inuyasha snapped sarcastically.

Sesshomaru shot a growl at his brother, red eyes flashing.

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha waved his growl off as another few demon guards attacked him. "We get it. Don't bother you while you're doing this. Come on, Miroku, let's go find Naraku." The half-demon clambered to his feet, dragging Miroku along with him.

Both darted past the demon guards that rushed towards them, leaving Sesshomaru to snarl after them and deal with the annoying guards. "Smell anything?" Miroku asked, opening his Wind Tunnel to suck up an annoying guard.

"Yep! Follow me!" Inuyasha growled, unsheathing Tetsusaiga and starting up a massive course of stairs. "He's this –what the hell was that?" He broke off, yelping in shock when a huge gust of wind blew over them, followed by a woman on a large feather. He growled when he noticed she had the same scent as the guy they were tracking. "Come on," he muttered, shaking his head and following Naraku's scent once more.

Miroku nodded and scrambled after him, his eyes narrowed. "We'll find him."

Inuyasha was halfway up the massive staircase, his golden eyes flashing this way and that. "We're close, Miroku!" He yelled when they had burst through multiple rooms. "He's nearby! His scent's getting strong – HERE! I FOUND HIM!" he cut himself off as he burst into a room to find a black haired man sitting in the middle of it.

The room was empty except for the floor and the walls, an s well as the man kneeling in the middle of the room with a smirk on his face. "I see you have come…"

"Damn right," Inuyasha snarled, face contorting into one of fury. "Gotta problem with that?"

"Huh. Inuyasha. And it's nice to see you as well, monk." The man drawled, smirking at the floor. His red eyes flickered up for a moment, then returned to the floor. "Inuyasha, have you come to gain an early revenge on the latest woman of yours?"

Inuyasha seemed to puff up with so much fury, Miroku thought he was gonna lose it and go full demon, even with Tetsusaiga in his hands. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, YOU DAMN BASTARD?"

"Calm down, Miroku, he's toying with you," Miroku hissed to his best friend, eyes narrowed. "Nothing's going to happen to Kagome, remember? Sango's with her. I would put _my_ life in that woman's hands."

Inuyasha seethed, not seeming to hear him. "I swear to fucking god*, if you touch Kagome I will tear each minor and major limb from every damn piece of you," he snarled, grip tightening on Tetsusaiga. His words merged together thanks to his anger and not even Inuyasha himself could understand half of what he was saying. "Stay the hell away from my family. We are SICK and TIRED of you messing with us, you got that?"

Naraku just chuckled. "Are you saying you'll give me a chance and not kill me, Inuyasha? What about you, monk? I killed that demon slayer's brother. Surely it would be easy enough to kill her and the _miko_."

"Okay, what the hell are you talking about now?" Inuyasha hissed as Miroku froze.

"You did not know? Did you not hear Kagome herself?" Naraku's grin grew. "She told you herself that she had spiritual powers, did she not? She said she sometimes had to threaten the parents of _youkai_ children."

Inuyasha couldn't help it. His mind drifted back to Kagome's semi-sort of melt down. It was true. She had told him that. "Damn you to _Hell_!" he spat, leaping forward and striking out with Tetsusaiga.

Naraku was cut in half, but there was no blood. "Damn it. Inuyasha, it was only a puppet."

"We need to go," Inuyasha growled. He had an uneasy tugging in his gut. "Something's not right. Especially about that woman."

Miroku nodded and the two ran as fast as they could to the outside. Once outside, they saw that Sesshomaru had returned to his humanoid form. "Sesshomaru," Miroku gasped. "The plan didn't work. It was a puppet. We need to…to get back!"

Sesshomaru nodded and started in the direction of the car. "Let's go," he said, his voice a deep rumble.

_-_OO_-_

Kagome, an apron wrapped around her torso and waist, smiled as she helped Sango lay out the last of the baked goods to cool. Shippo was sleeping with a slightly bulging stomach because of all the treats, Kagome giggling at him. "All done!" She announced. "No more things to bake!"

"Thank Kami!" Sango explained, swinging into a chair and wiping her brow with the back of her hand. "I swear if I have to bake any more things for the next three months, I might strangle or hit the person who suggested it with Hiraikotsu."

"Same here," Kagome agreed. "I wouldn't use Hiraikotsu, of course. I'm sure Kirara would help me, as I can't lift that heavy weapon of yours."

Sango joined in with her laughing. "Want to give that lifting another go?"

"Nah, I'm exhausted after all that baking. Hey, do you guys mind if I go grocery shopping?" Kagome added as Rin walked in. "I have no food in my house because I've had a hungry _kitsune_ and, for some reason, a hungry _hanyou_ at my house all week. I'll just get some food, put it away, and then come back." She pleaded when she saw the stern look on Sango's face.

"I don't know, Kagome," Rin shifted her weight nervously. "The guys specifically told us to stay here…"

Kagome waved them off with her hand. "It won't take more than two hours. I've gone grocery shopping before, I'm not helpless. Besides. Sango, you should know better than anyone that I can purify a demon in two seconds flat if I have some sort of weapon with me. Do you still have those fans?"

Sango sighed and nodded. "Fine. Let me go grab them. But you have to promise to be careful and come back as soon as possible," she added, starting towards the front closet to collect the fans that she allowed her friend to use on special occasions. "Inuyasha will kill me if you don't return in less than two hours. Shouldn't they be back soon?"

"If they come, tell Inuyasha the truth. I went grocery shopping and he should check my house, and if I'm not there to wait for me there," Kagome said with a reassuring nod.

"Got it," Sango replied, tossing the fans to her friend. "Remember," she called as Kagome slipped out the door, pulling out her keys as she did so. "Careful!"  
"Yeah, yeah!" Kagome waved it off with a hand.

She was soon on her way to the grocery store, singing along to the radio as she did so. She glanced at the review mirror every few seconds, hoping that maybe she would see someone she knew and get to stop to say hi for no exact reason.

When she finally reached the store, she slipped out of her Pathfinder and headed inside. She grabbed a shopping cart, then started down aisle after aisle, gathering the stuff she needed. Then she began to notice something.

There was a _youkai_ woman watching her. Every time she changed aisles, the woman was there. She narrowed her eyes, reaching for her fan in case she needed it. Kagome had learned long ago how to push her powers through the fans. Screw the damn store if it was in the way, Inuyasha would kill Sango if Kagome died.

After she had finished shopping, Kagome was relieved to see the woman gone. She replaced the fan in her pocket, then paid for her food. She sighed as she pushed the cart out of the store and towards her car, clicking the unlock button…there she was again! Kagome quickly flicked the fan open and, pushing her powers through the fan, did a quick movement, sending a slice of pink energy at the woman. She vanished before it hit her, but Kagome hoped she had gotten the message. She started placing stuff in her car, then climbed in and turned on the engine.

She was driving down the larger street with trees on each side of the road when it happened.

She yawned, thinking of her bed, and sped up slightly.

The woman was in front of the car.

"_HOLY –_" Kagome screamed, swerving the car at full speed…right into a tree.

The airbag puffed up to keep her from slamming her head into the wheel as the front of the car crumpled against the tree. The trunk somehow popped open and her food went flying. Kagome felt a sharp jab to her side. Everything was silent.

_-_OO_-_

Inuyasha and Miroku and Sesshomaru got home fairly quickly, and Inuyasha relaxed when he saw that everything was as they had left it. "Yo! Sango! Kagome! Rin!" he yelled as they just walked in through the front door.

He heard Sango groan. "How did it go?"

Inuyasha shot her a suspicious look as Miroku replied, "No good. He turned out to be a puppet."

Inuyasha shook his head and tried to peer around Sango as Rin appeared and smiled at Sesshomaru. "Where's Kagome?"

"She decided to go grocery shopping because apparently a certain half-demon was eating her out of house and home!" Rin replied, shooting Inuyasha a look. "She said that you should just go wait at her house for her if she wasn't back by the time you came back."

"On it!" Inuyasha replied, turning and walking out the door again. He clambered into his car and was soon driving down the road, his window open and silver hair flying. He passed what seemed to be a car crumpled against a tree, but shrugged and ignored it…then slammed his foot on the break. "DAMN IT!" he spat, shooting out of the car as fast as he could. _Kagome! That's Kagome's car! Damn it, damn it, damn it!_ "Kagome!" he snarled, skidding to a halt and sniffing frantically. There was her scent…

And there was blood.

"Damn it! Kagome!" He practically whimpered her name, struggling to tear through the metal and get her out. "Damn it!" He cursed again when it wasn't working. He almost broke the phone as he jerked it open and speed dialed Miroku's number. "MIROKU GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE AND HELP ME!" He snarled into the phone, voice echoing on the other end. He was shaking from fury and a hint of fear. "Bring everyone except Rin and Shippo!" he added. "I…I'm on Kagome's street…" He snarled and slammed the phone shut before trying to tear the car apart again.

_-_OO_-_

Miroku also slammed his phone shut on the other hand, shooting into the kitchen as fast as he could. "Get in the damn car!" He yelped, grabbing the keys and shooting out the door. "Rin, Shippo, he said stay here! Sango, Sesshomaru! Get your asses out here and let's go! Something's happened and Inuyasha's about ready to kill."

_-_OO_-_

"Please be okay, Kagome..."

**A/N: Thoughts? I know there's a bunch of deaths and such XD but its all part of my plan :D And I've finally figured it out. Why I'm so into hurting Kags! The reason: I believe I am jealous that she gets Inu XD**


	9. Help Is Needed

**A/N: Who loved my last chapter? :D Anyhow, disclaimers, thanks to reviewers, and etc. Currently looking for someone who would willingly make me a cover for the story if you're interested! Thanks!**

By the time Miroku, Sesshomaru, and Sango had arrived on the scene, Sango bring Kirara as well, and Inuyasha was snarling curses and struggling to tear apart the car to get to Kagome. He could smell blood. And it was fueling his anger. "Damn it!" he spat, wincing only slightly as a piece of metal dug into his skin.

Sango's face had gone pale. "No, no, no…that's not…she said she'd…"

Miroku groaned and carefully picked his way over to gently grab Inuyasha's shoulder and pull him away. "Inuyasha, wait a minute. Let's look carefully and find the easiest way to get her out. Sango, be ready to call an ambulance." He ordered. "Sesshomaru, do us a favor and use your true form to see if you can get her out."

Sesshomaru, grumbling about being around only to be used, turned into a large dog and inspected the car before carefully locking his jaws around the top of it and jerking it. The car, instead of coming apart, came with his mouth. Sesshomaru quickly placed it on the ground so the others could get into it.

Inuyasha was instantly on the car again, tearing through the metal as fast as he could. "Kagome!" he growled. "Can you hear me?"

Sango had her phone open and ready, but shoved it at Miroku and ran over with Kirara, who had transformed into a larger version of herself, to help. Soon they had the driver's side's door off and Inuyasha was gently dragging a fairly bloody Kagome out of the car.

_-_OO_-_

Kagome gave a light groan when she felt herself being moved. Her head was pounding, her side felt like there was a knife shoved into it, and her whole body ached. She whimpered when something gently touched her side. She wasn't unconscious, quite the opposite. But she wished she was. _I can't believe I'm saying this…but kill me now or please make it better._

"Kagome!" A voice hissed in her ear, echoing around her head. She groaned again and tried to shove whoever it was away from her ear as they continued. "Kagome, get up!"

"Should I call the ambulance?" A feminine voice asked anxiously.

A deeper voice than the one in her ear replied, "Yeah, call them –"

He was cut off as the voice beside Kagome snarled. She soon felt a weight hovering over her and she struggled to open her eyes to see what was happening when it growled. "Stay away from her." It snarled, its tone furious and in pain. Kagome struggled to put a name to it…Inuyasha! That was it!  
"But, Inuyasha…" Miroku.

"She's hurt!" Sango.

"Stay the hell away from her! I swear that if you come any closer I will tear your damn heart out," Inuyasha snarled. The weight on Kagome's chest became almost unbearable.

Another voice, Sesshomaru, was heard slightly amused. "It seems that this has pushed him over the edge. I would suggest you humans join me by backing up before his _youkai_ blood shows up and he slays you both," Sesshomaru suggested with what Kagome suspected was a shrug and maybe a gleeful smile.

Inuyasha snarled again and a shuffling was heard as both said mortals moved backwards.

Kagome struggled to force her eyes open as she felt the pressure on her remove itself and felt something tickling her cheek. "Kagome…" Inuyasha murmured, his breath whisking across her cheek. "Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

Kagome finally got her eyes to open and she groaned again, struggling to sit up. "I'm fine," she croaked.

She heard Inuyasha sigh in relief while Miroku and Sango began cheering happily.

_-_OO_-_

It was particularly difficult, but Sango convinced Inuyasha to let her call an ambulance to help Kagome. Inuyasha had practically clawed off one of the ambulance people's hands when they had jostled Kagome too roughly and she had whimpered. They had learned to be careful quickly enough after that. They kept a wide barrier when he slipped into the ambulance with Kagome.

It was strange. The whole ride to the hospital, Kagome seemed to be the one soothing him with gentle words such as "I'm fine." and "Calm down, Inuyasha, they don't mean to hurt me."

Sango and Miroku could barely hold the half-demon back when he was told he would have to keep away from his woman while they checked her over. He started fighting them to get back to Kagome, snarling words that half of which they didn't understand. "Calm down, Inuyasha, they're just checking her over!" Sango finally shrieked out of exasperation, startling some doctors and such. "At least she's up and stuff! She could be unconscious!"  
That seemed to calm him down. But only a little bit. He resorted to pacing; growling every time someone came near him. _Is she okay? What happened? She's such a careful driver…this wasn't a normal swerve-to-avoid-a-random-skunk accident. Something wasn't right._

After what seemed like forever –when in reality it was actually only about two hours -, someone _finally_ called for them. Inuyasha was after him like a dog searching for its favorite bone –no pun intended. Miroku and Sango followed him with a sigh, rolling their eyes as they followed the doctor into the conference room.

"Let's see…" the doctor said with a slight smirk as he went through notes. "Ah, yes. Kagome Higurashi, female, twenty two years old, car wreck. She has a minor concussion –barely one there in fact. Her side has a serious wound that needed a few pieces of plastic, glass, and metal removed before being stitched up. She has a bunch of bruises, but other than that she's going to be fine. We also found this…" he dug in his pocket and pulled out a shard of something that was pink. He tossed it to Inuyasha then got up and left.

Inuyasha examined it, his eyes widening with horror as Miroku and Sango peeked over his shoulder. "This is… part of the…Shikon no Tama. It must have shattered in the crash…" he growled, ears flattening. "Just our luck…" he trailed off as a nurse peeked in.

"You can see Kagome if you want!" She said cheerfully. "Room three o' five." Then she was gone.

Inuyasha tucked the shard away in his shirt's pocket, then was high-tailing it through the door, searching for Kagome's room.

_-_OO_-_

Kagome glanced up as the door burst open and in charged Inuyasha, his arms instantly trying to wrap around her. "Inuyasha, don't scare me!" She gasped, the heart-beat monitor going wild for a few moments after he had come in. Then it returned to normal. "I'm fine. Jeez."

Inuyasha pressed his lips to her temple as Miroku and Sango appeared, both grinning. "It's good to see that you'll be okay, Kagome," Sango said, catching Inuyasha's eye. When she saw the hint of possessiveness, she whispered to Miroku, "I wouldn't step in the room if I were you."

Miroku, who had been about to step in, nodded in understanding and shifted away.

Inuyasha immediately relaxed and turned to Kagome. "Can you tell us what happened?" He asked in the gentlest tone Miroku had ever heard.

Kagome nodded with a frown. "I went grocery shopping, and while I was there this woman kept appearing. I know she was demon because she had red eyes and _everything_." She emphasized 'everything', knowing Inuyasha would understand that gut feeling you get when you know you're right. "Anyways, I got tired of it so I attacked her and she vanished. But on the way home, she appeared right in front of my car and I was so surprised that I swerved the car and hit the tree. Then there was some bright light and that's all I can remember," she finished, looking at the possessive _hanyou_ expectantly. "Do you know what the light is and who the hell the woman was?"

Inuyasha's mind instantly flashed to the woman that had flown out of Naraku's place on a feather. "I might know the woman, as Miroku and I saw one fly away from Naraku's. As for the bright light, I'm sure Miroku and Sango both agree me when I say I suspect it was this…" he dropped something into her lap.

Kagome picked it up and examined it. "What is it, Yash?"

"A fragment of Shikon no Tama."

Kagome's eyes widened, then filled with tears to Inuyasha's horror. "I broke…I shattered…damn! You're being nice now, but you're going to kill me later!"

She seemed to start hyperventilating, so Inuyasha began tracing delicate circles up her arms in a soothing way to calm her down. "I'm not going to kill you," he murmured, only for her to hear. "I promise."

Kagome relaxed and fell back into some pillows. "Sorry for breaking my promise, Sango," She called towards the door, closing her eyes.

Sango laughed, waving it off with her hand. "It's not your fault. We're gonna go tell Rin what happened before she freaks out, okay? If you need us, call!" Her and Miroku left, and Kagome couldn't help but smile when their fingers became intertwined with one another.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, her hand seeking his for comfort. "I really am sorry."

"Why the hell are you sorry?" Inuyasha demanded, allowing her to take his hand. "It's not your fault. Anything that happened isn't your fault, got it?"

Kagome nodded. "Okay. Inuyasha, how long are you staying here?"

"Keh! Until you get released…when is that anyway?'

Kagome couldn't help but laugh. "In a few days. They said they just want to watch over me for a few days to make sure the concussion isn't that bad. So how did everything go with the plan?"

Inuyasha was already shaking his head with a sigh. "Not good. It turned out to be a puppet for one, that woman escaped, and who knows what else happened. Then you got in the car wreck. Damn it all. My life's messed up at the moment." He muttered the last part to himself, and then continued to himself as well. "That bastard is going after everyone I love. Damn it all."

Kagome smiled slightly at his words and then began struggling to sit up again.

Inuyasha jumped to his feet with a low growl. "What the hell are you doing? You need to rest!" He snapped, gently pushing her shoulders back down.

Kagome looked up at him pitifully with a whimper, and he helped her sit up. "Damn you," he cursed Kagome without meaning it, his eyes concerned for her.

She just smiled and winked at him. "Come now, Inuyasha. Don't be mean to me after I almost died…"

"Okay, now you're using it to your advantage. I'll do whatever the hell I want."

Kagome pretended to pout for a moment then smiled again. "Inuyasha, come here."

Inuyasha groaned and leaned towards her. "What the hell do you want now, wen –" he was cut off when Kagome leaned forward as well, but kissed him instead of speaking. She gently parted her lips and Inuyasha froze in shock before following suit.

After more than a few moments, Inuyasha pulled away. He then gently kissed her head and said, "You need to sleep if you want to get better."

Kagome smiled brightly at him and plopped back into her pillows.

_-_OO_-_

It felt like ages to Kagome, but finally she was free.

_~Earlier that morning…~_

_ Kagome glowered at Inuyasha, who was growling as the _female_ doctor lifted her hospital gown to check on her side wound. "Calm down!"  
"Calm down?" Inuyasha retorted, folding his hands behind his head. "I'm not doing anything wrong!"  
The doctor began muttering to herself about how ridiculous the situation was, and how crazy Kagome was for trusting a _hanyou_. It took her two seconds flat to get out of the room with a very angry Inuyasha on her tail. Lucky for Kagome that the woman had just finished. "Inuyasha!" She snapped in exasperation. _

_ "What?" He retorted, sitting back down. _

_ "Like I said, chill! They're not going to hurt me or anything! They just have to make sure I feel okay!" She replied with another one of her smiles. _

_ Inuyasha rolled his eyes, dog ears twitching towards her. "Keh! What do you expect me to do? Go sit at home?"_

_ "Inuyasha, maybe it would let the doctors do their job…" Kagome replied thoughtfully. _

_ "Hell no!"_

_ "I was just joking!"_

_ "Well, don't!" Inuyasha was practically bristling at this time, his golden eyes narrowed with anger. "I'm not going anywhere!"  
"Okay, okay!" Kagome sighed, rolling her eyes as another doctor, a probably braver one, slipped in with a clipboard. _

_ "Hello, Kagome. Err, Inuyasha." The doctor nodded at both of them, and flashed a smile. "You're allowed to leave, Miss Kagome."_

_~End of Earlier That Morning~_

Now Kagome was settled into Inuyasha's car, practically bouncing up and down on the seat of the car. "I can't wait to go home and get to see Shippo and Rin and Sango and Miroku…up close!" She added. She had seen them the day before, but the said four and Sesshomaru had known better than to step into the room where Inuyasha could be seen giving them a look that said 'stay away'.

"Keh! I don't know why you're so excited to see them. They're seriously nosy and annoying."

"Well, I feel bad for Sango," Kagome announced. "She has to house all four of you Takahashi people plus Miroku!"

"Oh, come on! It's not that bad…okay. It's pretty bad. It's loud, it's crowded, it hurts my ears, and it's annoying." Inuyasha seemed to be ticking reasons off of his fingers, making Kagome start to laugh again.

"Well now you and Shippo can come stay at my place again. But that does _not_ mean you get to sleep with me," she added when a grin became plastered on the half-demon's face. "You can either share a bed with Shippo, I can share a bed with Shippo, or you can sleep on the couch. Or he can sleep on the couch. It's up to Shippo."

"Oh, come on!" Inuyasha pretended to be disappointed. "How come I can't sleep with you but Shippo can?"

Kagome laughed and gently tugged on his ear, enough so that he could feel it but it didn't distract him from his driving. Inuyasha wasn't stupid though. He could feel the tension that had appeared on Kagome when she had gotten in the car earlier. She was now deathly scared of _cars_. He couldn't help it; a small smile curled onto his lips. "Are you're feeling okay enough to deal with these people?" He asked as they pulled into Sango's driveway.

"Of course," Kagome scoffed, practically flying from the car. Her answer changed as soon as they opened the door.

Miroku was standing with his back to the door, holding Hiraikotsu, and gasping for breath. "Sango! Calm down!"

Sango was facing the door and Miroku, her fury a whirlwind of flames around her. "Miroku, how dare you!" She hissed, shaking with fury.

Kagome opened her mouth to ask what was going on when Sesshomaru and Rin with Shippo peered around a corner, starting a chain reaction.

They peered around at the same time Sango launched herself at Miroku, crashing into him. Miroku toppled backwards onto Kagome. Kagome yelped in more surprise then pain. Inuyasha snarled and threw Miroku off of Kagome, literally threw him off, and into Sango, who in turn toppled over. Inuyasha then proceeded to crouch defensively in front of Kagome, who was rubbing her backside with a wince. "Ow! Thanks for the 'welcome home'," she complained. "What did Miroku do anyways, Sango?"  
Sango was instantly shoving Miroku off of her with a big grin. "Kagome! Welcome back! And this idiot," she glowered at Miroku as she continued. "The damn idiot groped me!"

Miroku was rubbing the back of his head with a guilty expression. "I couldn't help it, Sango. You're just that good looking."

"Good looking?" Sango said sarcastically, hitting him in the back of the head before taking Hiraikotsu back. "I'm surprised you don't use more mature words, as you're a lecher."

Kagome laughed and climbed to her feet, Inuyasha copying her movements. The half-demon was still growling. While Kagome thought his over-protective ways were semi-sort of sweet, they were starting to get on her nerves. She brushed past him and over to Sango, who gave her a careful but big hug. "It's nice to see you, too, San!"  
Inuyasha leaned back against the doorway with a snort, golden eyes never leaving Kagome for more than a moment. "You two act like she's been gone for months."

"Says the guy who threw Miroku across the room," Sango shot at him with a smirk, then said to Kagome, "Let's go get you set up in my room! It's a bit crowded in here, though. Rin and Shippo are up there with me, but the three guys are sleeping down here on the floor and rotating turns on the couch. Or Miroku and Sesshomaru are as Inuyasha refused to leave the hospital while you were there."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm taking Inuyasha and Shippo back to my place," Kagome replied, yawning. "Shippo can have the spare room again and Inuyasha, you can have the couch."

"Not letting him sleep with you yet?" Miroku teased, finally joining in with the conversation.

Kagome and Inuyasha both hit him over the back of his head.

_-_OO_-_

Soon Shippo and Inuyasha were settled into the old routine they had been in the first time Shippo had stayed at her house. Though this time there was no mansion to go back to anytime they wanted as it was still covered with miasma.

Kagome was currently walking down the stairs with a tired smile on her face. She hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, thanks to nightmares that haunted her during the night. She knew she had bags under her eyes, but truthfully? She didn't care anymore. She was exhausted, but she refused to sleep. Instead, she forced herself to make breakfast at five thirty in the morning. This woke up Inuyasha, who was on the couch out cold, with the smell of bacon.

_What's with her, eggs, and bacon?_ He thought as he trudged into the kitchen. He glowered at the clock then Kagome. "What the hell are you doing up so early?" He demanded. "I'm trying to sleep!"

Kagome looked over her shoulder at him with a smile. "Sorry. I couldn't sleep so I decided to make breakfast."

Inuyasha gave an exasperated mixture of a growl and a sigh. "Kagome, what's going on? You haven't slept for…" he counted in his head for a moment then continued. "For five days. You need to rest or you're going to get sick and that's not going to go well with your injuries."

Kagome seemed to puff up with anger. "I'm fine! I'm just…not tired!"

He smirked, smelling an easy victory with this argument when she hesitated. "Really? Then why do you look so tired now?"

"Err, I don't know?" Kagome then turned and threw the spoon she was holding as hard as she could into the sink. It clattered loudly and Inuyasha's hands flew up to cover his ears with a wince. "Damn it all!" She cursed, storming out of the kitchen.

Inuyasha didn't move, shocked at her sudden change in behavior. He did move, however, as fast as he could when he heard the front door slam open. "Kagome!" he growled, grabbing her by the wrist as she tried to storm out of the house. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm…going…to Sango's!" Kagome snapped, struggling to pull away.

Inuyasha, with his inhuman strength, barely moved when she jerked as hard as she could. Barely. "Kagome, what's _wrong_? I can't help if I don't know what's wrong!"

Kagome glowered for a moment, and then shifted moods so fast you could see her face flicker into the next expression. She sighed, shaking her head. "I can't sleep because of the damn nightmares, okay? I keep dreaming that I'm crashing over and over again and that woman's there."

Inuyasha's hardened gaze softened immediately and he gently tugged her closer, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting yet protective embrace. "You do know you're okay, right? That's not going to happen again."

Kagome nodded. "I know. I can't help it though…and Inuyasha? What are we going to do about Shikon no Tama?"  
Inuyasha's gaze darkened slightly though his grip on Kagome was light. "We're going to find the shards before Naraku, that's what we're going to do."

**A/N: Thoughts?**


	10. A Bit Drunk

**A/N: I just wanted to say thanks to all reviewers (I will now start replying in the chapters at the end of the chapter XD) and hope you enjoy this chapter! Disclaimers!**

Kagome struggled to not pass out from exhaustion for the rest of the day, using coffee and soda to keep her awake when they went over to Sango's again to hang out with their friends. Eventually, when Shippo was sleeping, Sango decided to pull out the wine and beer. Kagome groaned when Inuyasha enthusiastically asked for a couple glasses of beer. Sesshomaru and Miroku joined in with the beer, while Sango and Rin daintily sipped at a couple glasses of wine. Kagome flat out refused to drink, knowing that someone had to care for Shippo after his nap.

It didn't take many glasses for Rin, Sango, and Miroku to become drunk, but as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were demon and _hanyou_, it took far more to put them in a drunken stupor.

Kagome decided to begin counting the glasses Inuyasha drank out of boredom as he decided to have a contest with Sesshomaru. Kagome groaned at the thought of a drunken Inuyasha, but went along with it.

_Twenty-six…twenty-seven…twenty-eight…damn! Don't they ever give up!_ Kagome cursed as Inuyasha continued to drink, though he was obviously starting to get drunk. He was swaying slightly.

A commotion suddenly happened behind her, and Kagome glanced over her shoulder to see that Miroku had stumbled and fell flat on his face. He started giggling like a teenage girl, and Sango and Rin began full out belly laughing. Kagome snorted and rolled her eyes in disgust, returning her attention to Inuyasha again. She quickly counted the glasses and sighed. _Seriously? After thirty-seven glasses, can't they stop?_

Sesshomaru was still sober, but Inuyasha was obviously having trouble staying upright. So Kagome decided that enough was enough. She marched over and grabbed Inuyasha by his upper arm and jerked violently on it. "Come on, Inuyasha, time to leave!" She announced, and then went to get Shippo. No way was he getting left in a house full of drunken idiots!

When she returned to the living room, she grumbled. Inuyasha had decided to down a few more cups of beer. So she went over, grabbed him by and ear, and began dragging him to the front door, Inuyasha yelping in pain. "Hey! That…hurts!" He yelped again as he stumbled and almost face planted into the wall. Kagome just ignored him and continued dragging him.

She buckled the still sleeping Shippo into the car, and then somehow managed to push Inuyasha into the passenger seat. She moved to climb into the front seat, and then froze as a vision of the woman appearing in front of her shiny black Pathfinder appeared in her mind. She shook her head, trying to clear it, but the vision lingered. "I…I can do it," she murmured to herself, forcing herself into the seat. "Inuyasha's drunk, but he's here…he's not gonna…let anything happen." Her voice cracked and rose slightly, causing Inuyasha to slap his hands over his ears.

"Jeez, woman!" he complained with a slight slur. "You're voice hurts my ears sometimes!"

Kagome shot a glare at him, and then started up the car, forcing herself to not think of accidentally crashing again. _Shippo's in the car. So is Inuyasha. Nothing's going to happen. I've driven before…I can do it! I just have to concentrate and maybe go a bit slower than normal…_

"Where…are we…going?" Inuyasha slurred, flinging his arm across the back of Kagome's and reclining back. "Are we going to Sango's?"  
"No, you damn idiot!" Kagome hissed at him angrily as she carefully backed out of the driveway. "We're going to my house, remember? No more drinking for you, and certainly not when Sesshomaru's around!"

"Where is that bastard anyways?" Inuyasha asked as Kagome began driving towards her home.

Kagome sighed. "He's at Sango's, probably on his fiftieth cup of beer and is probably still sober. You on the other hand, are drunk."

"I'm not drunk!" Inuyasha protested, waving off her 'accusation' with a lazy hand. "You're imagining things!"  
Kagome groaned and carefully sped up as she neared the place she had crashed. "Can you focus for a minute so I don't crash a car again, Inuyasha? I know you're rich, but one of us could actually die you know!"

Inuyasha furrowed his brow in thought. "I won't…let you die…Kags."

Kagome gave a dry laugh as she turned onto her street with a sigh of relief. "You can't stop me from dying eventually, Inuyasha. Remember our discussions? Everyone dies and nobody lives forever."

"I won't let you," Inuyasha answered stubbornly, shaking his head and somehow almost managing to topple over, though he was buckled into the car. "You'll never…die."

Kagome stopped the car in her driveway and turned it off before climbing out. Shippo was still out cold and she knew nobody could wake the boy when he was asleep this deeply. She was just starting to open Shippo's door to grab him when an arm suddenly snaked around her waist. She yelped in surprise as she found herself being crushed against Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, let go!" She gasped, squirming and trying to escape the drunken _hanyou_'s grasp. "I need to get Shippo out, okay? Then we'll get you settled down in a room, too, so you're hangover won't be as bad."

Inuyasha lazily played with a lock of her hair. "What if I don't want to?"  
Kagome groaned again. "You're worse than Shippo!" She cried, struggling a moment more. Then she reached up and gave one of his ears a sharp tug, which caused him to jerk away in surprise, releasing Kagome. She grinned in triumph and quickly took Shippo out of the car, slamming the door behind her. "Come on, Yash!" She called as she started towards her house. She unlocked the door and waited patiently for the _hanyou_ to stumble through the door before closing it with a soft click and climbing the stairs to put the sleeping _youkai_ child to sleep.

When she came downstairs, she panicked. "Inuyasha? Where did you go?" She called, hurrying from the entryway to her living room. _No…_ She went to the dining room. _No…where the hell did he go! He should be getting to slee – WHAT THE HELL?_ She shrieked silently as she felt herself suddenly pulled backwards and against the chest of the exact half-demon she had been searching for. "Inuyasha! Let go!" she demanded again, determined to get him to at least the couch to sleep. "You need to go lay down or something while I take care of Shippo, got it?" Never again would she let Inuyasha get drunk.

Inuyasha chuckled in her ear, his chest rumbling with the sound. He nipped playfully at the side of her neck, and Kagome gasped in surprise. She froze, a shiver running up her spine. "I don't want to sleep!" he complained, reaching up with one hand to gently tug on a lock of her hair. "I want to…to…" he stumbled over his words as he struggled to think through his drunken haze.

"To what, Inuyasha? Why don't you explain while I get you to the couch, 'kay?" Kagome saw her chance to get him to the couch.

"No…I don't like the couch…" he mumbled in reply, leaning against the wall while leaving his arms draped around her waist. "I wanna…wanna…snuggle! That's it!"  
Kagome shot him a weird look as she continued to try and tug him in the direction of the couch. "Let me get this straight. You want to…snuggle? With who?" She decided to try and distract him while pulling him towards it. It worked, as though he kept his arms around her, he was too busy trying to think to notice that she had him heading towards the couch.

"With…" Inuyasha trailed off as he stumbled and almost slammed his face into the ground. "Whoa! The world's spinning…" he gasped as he staggered silently.

Kagome quickly stabilized his standing position before finally getting him to the couch. "With who, Inuyasha?" She said gently as she tried to get him to lie down. But with her weak human strength, she had no success at pushing him down onto the couch.

"With who what?" Inuyasha struggled to keep his thoughts in order again.

"You wanted to snuggle, remember? With who?"

"Snuggle? Oh, yeah! I wanna snuggle…with…with you! That's who!" Inuyasha gave a small giggle; much like the one Miroku had given earlier.

Kagome groaned for the third time. "I'm not snuggling with you while you're drunk!"

"But I'm not drunk! Please?"  
"No."

"Please, Kagome?"

"Nope."

"_Please_?"

"If I snuggle, will you go to sleep?" Kagome sighed in exasperation. "I need you to go to sleep so I can clean up the house, okay? I'll snuggle with you, but you have to go to sleep afterwards, got it?"

Inuyasha gave her a grin, similar to one of Shippo's happy childish ones. "Okay!"

Kagome wanted to slam her head into the wall, but she sat down on the couch next to him with a huff, ignoring his attempts to get her attention at first. He first tugged on her hair, then whined and said her name, then growled. The growl caught her attention finally and he smiled at her before pulling her into his lap. Kagome immediately began squirming, trying to escape. "I said _snuggle_, not…this!"

Inuyasha frowned, tightening his grip around her. "But this is snuggling, Kags!" he whined.

Kagome glowered at him, and then forced herself to relax against his chest. Okay, so it wasn't so bad. But she was terrified he was going to take advantage of her, just like Hojo had…she shuddered suddenly and began squirming violently, images of Hojo flashing through her vision. "Inuyasha! Let go! Please!" she pleaded, struggling to get away as hard as she could.

Inuyasha just ignored her and nuzzled his face into her neck. "You promised!"

"I did not promise!" She shrieked, flinching away from his face. "Please!"

Inuyasha frowned and brushed some hair out of her face. "Why? I want to snuggle…with…with you!" he slurred with a strange looking pout. "You're special… I don't want you to go!" He let out a whimper, burying his face into her hair. "Don't go! You can touch my ears!"  
Kagome froze, her attempts to escape stopping. He was offering to let her touch his ears? The thought made her let out a nervous laugh, but the thoughts of Hojo vanished. "I can touch them?"

Inuyasha nodded, looking like an innocent child that had just stopped spinning in a circle as he swayed. "Yeah…" he hiccupped. "You can touch them…for long…as you want!" he slurred, nuzzling his face into her neck again.

Kagome was sorely tempted. Touch his ears? This could be the only chance she could… "Fine, but I get to touch them!" She said hesitantly.

Inuyasha caught her hand as she eagerly reached up to touch them. "Not…yet!" he teased, flicking her nose lightly with his free hand. "I have…a…a surprise first!"

"What would that be?" She demanded sarcastically, wanting to slap him for not letting her touch his ears after he said she could.

Inuyasha gave her a bright smile. "I want to give you…a…kiss!"

Kagome frowned. "Okay…" she mumbled, pulling away as much as he would allow. "You're weird. You are never getting drunk again, got it?"

Inuyasha frowned. "…Not…drunk…" he mumbled. "I want…to give you a kiss…and you get…to…to…um…" he broke off, thinking again. "That's right! Touch my ears!"  
Kagome growled, impressively for a human. "Fine."  
Inuyasha smiled brightly again and leaned forward, tenderly brushing his lips against Kagome's. Kagome felt her heart beat speed up and cursed herself. When he pulled away, he grinned. "See? Not…not…not that bad…"

Kagome rolled her eyes, though she was secretly jumping for joy. "Can I touch your ears…?"  
Inuyasha nodded and moved her out of his lap. Sitting her on the other end of the couch, he stretched out, laying his head on her lap. His golden eyes fluttered shut.

Kagome, blushing furiously, hesitated, and then gently began to massage one of his ears with her fingers. She smiled as she massaged the other one as well. They were silky and soft, better than she had thought. Inuyasha sighed, his breathing deepening as she rubbed the ears.

Kagome also sighed, though in relief as she continued to rub his ears and pet his head like a dog.

_-OO-_

Inuyasha woke up with a groan, his head pounding as he struggled to remember what had happened to make his head feel so bad. Then he felt the soothing feeling of someone rubbing his ears. He frowned, letting his eyes remain shut. Nobody ever touched his ears. He refused to let anyone. Letting out a deep growl that turned into a whine of pleasure as the person rubbed softly at the base of one ear, he opened his eyes.

Kagome was above him, a smile playing on her ears as she continued to mess with his ears. Inuyasha had fallen asleep hours ago, but she was enjoying herself so she hadn't moved, continuing to play with the silky ears. When he opened his eyes, she jumped in surprise. "Oh! You're awake!" She quickly removed her hands from his ears with a sigh of disappointment.

Inuyasha unconsciously pushed his head back into her hands and she giggled. "Keh! If you're having fun, don't stop," he muttered, though he said it because he secretly liked her touching his ears. "What the hell happened?"

"Let's see," Kagome said thoughtfully. "We went to Sango's yesterday and she pulled out the alcohol for some reason after Shippo fell asleep – weird. He's still sleeping. Anyway, you had forty something glasses of beer after challenging Sesshomaru and you got drunk. So I brought you and Shippo back, and you were all weird. I was trying to get you to the couch so you could sleep, and then you said you wanted to 'snuggle'. Then you said if I stayed and let you give me a kiss, I could touch your ears," Kagome finished, smirking when she noticed Inuyasha gape up at her in shock.

"Damn! That explains the head ache!" Inuyasha muttered, a canine equivalent of a purr coming from him as Kagome scratched behind his ears.

Kagome laughed and gave his head a final pat before gently lifting it so she could get up. Almost immediately after standing, her legs gave way and Inuyasha clumsily caught her while still lying on the couch. "Oops!" She laughed, using his arms to steady herself. "You were lying in my lap, so I guess my legs fell asleep!"  
Inuyasha snorted, the surprise fading from him. "Be careful!"

Kagome smiled and patted his head again before starting towards the kitchen to get him some medicine for his head ache. She winced at the pain that came after your legs were no longer numb. After grabbing the medicine, she turned to go back to the couch to give it to Inuyasha…only to run into his chest. "Jeez! You scared me!" She gasped, almost dropping the pills in her hand.

Inuyasha smirked, crossing his arms. "Good! I should scare you!"  
"Sure…" Kagome teased, holding out her hand and dropping the pills into his palm when he held his own hand out. "Those are for your head ache. I'm gonna go see if I can wake up the kid that sleeps like the dead." She said as she started towards the stairs.

Inuyasha stopped her by grabbing her by the waist after swallowing the pills and pulling her back over to him with another smirk. "Don't wake up the runt!" He pretended to pout. He'll ruin all the fun!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "What fun? I think you're still a little drunk, Inuyasha…" she added thoughtfully, waving her hand in his face to check his eyes. He blinked every time her hand passed over them.

"I'm not drunk anymore, woman!" Inuyasha snapped indignantly. "Have some faith, would ya? I let you touch my ears!"

Kagome let out a giggle, and reached up to tug gently on one of the said appendages. "I know you'll let me touch them whenever though, right? So I don't owe you or anything…do I?"

He smirked, pretending to ponder the question. "Well…nobody but Mother has ever touched them, so perhaps we could make some kind of a deal…?"  
Kagome groaned and slapped a hand to her forehead. "Of course you want something out of it. But there already was a deal, remember? I snuggled and let you kiss me; I got to touch the ears for endless hours. We're even!"  
"No we're not!" Inuyasha said, mocking her tone. "I want one more thing!"  
Kagome sighed. "And what would that be?"

"Another kiss?"

"Another kiss." Kagome repeated, shooting him another weird look. "Okay, go back to the couch. You're still drunk. I'm gonna go wake up Shippo to keep me company."

"I'm not drunk, damn it!" Inuyasha snapped, although his tone was amused. "I just want another damn kiss! Jeez! You make it sound like it's a big deal!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "This coming from the guy who makes a big deal out of touching his ears?"

"Yep."

"And you have to ask my permission to give me a kiss?" Kagome mused to annoy him.

"Damn you," Inuyasha muttered, lightly flicking her forehead. Then he leaned in and kissed her lightly for a moment…only to be interrupted by a young voice.

"EWWW! YOU GUYS ARE LIKE RIN AND SESSHY! AND YOU'RE KISSING MY TEACHER, INUYASHA!" Shippo whined loudly, causing Kagome and Inuyasha to break apart in surprise.

"Oh shut it, runt!" Inuyasha snorted, draping his arm around Kagome's petite waist. "I can do what I want." He gave a small growl, and Kagome raised an eyebrow when she heard a hint of possessiveness in it.

"But…she's my teacher!" Shippo sputtered, rubbing his eyes. "You have to ask my permission!"

Inuyasha knelt down with a smirk. "Do I now?"

Kagome started to giggle wildly as they started arguing. She covered her mouth when she laughed harder because Inuyasha's ears twitched in her direction. Finally after calming down, she asked cheerfully, "Who wants French Toast?"  
Shippo, who was in the middle of telling Inuyasha that he had to move back over to Sango's, started clapping and jumping up and down. "Yeah! French Toast! But Inuyasha doesn't get any because he was kissing you, Kagome!"  
Kagome laughed and ruffled the small boy's hair. "Now, Shippo! That would mean I don't get any either!"

Shippo had been sipping on a cup of water while she spoke, sprayed the water out of his mouth in surprise. "You kissed him, too?" he sputtered, coughing on the water.

Kagome laughed harder as she rubbed his back. "Sure! Of course I was! If I hadn't, he would be on the ground out cold, wouldn't he?" She said with a smile as Shippo stopped coughing.

"But I thought I was special!" Shippo yelped, throwing his hands in the air.

Inuyasha smirked from his spot by the stove as Kagome went over to it and began preparing French Toast. "I'm the most special person to her. Right, Kags?"

"Sure, sure," Kagome said with a shrug, and then leaned over to Shippo. "You're more special than him. I just need him to think he's more important so he doesn't kick me out of my own house!"  
Shippo started giggling as Inuyasha growled teasingly.

_-OO-_

As Shippo and Inuyasha scarfed down their breakfast, Kagome called Sango to check on her. When she picked up, she grinned and said, "Hey, San. How's the hangover?"

Sango groaned on the other end. "Damn! It sucks! My head hurts!"

Kagome laughed and said, "I told you not to drink! And remind me to not let Inuyasha get drunk again. He was kind of creepy afterwards. Apparently he wanted to 'snuggle', which ended up with me being able to rub his ears for eight hours."

"He actually let you touch them?" Sango gasped.

"Yep!"

"Damn, woman! Hold on…WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT YOU LECH?" Sango suddenly yelled, her voice full of irritation.

"Who's on the phone?" Miroku's muffled voice replied.

"Kagome. And she said Inuyasha got drunk and let her touch his ears," Sango retorted, then said, "Sorry. He tried to kiss me last night, the damn perv!"  
Kagome laughed then looked over her shoulder when she felt a sharp claw prod her shoulder. "I gotta go. Inuyasha does _not_ look very happy with me right now. Talk to you later!" She hung up and grinned at the irritated half-demon. "Can I help you?"

"In case you didn't notice," Inuyasha growled, his arm snaking around Kagome's waist again. Shippo made a disgusted face at Inuyasha as he did so. "But someone's at the door."

Kagome sighed and started towards the door, Inuyasha hot on her heels with his arm still wrapped around her. She shot him a dirty look and opened the door…to find a familiar looking _Okami youkai_. "Koga!" She exclaimed, then narrowed her eyes at his legs when she felt something pure coming from them.

_Sacred Jewel shards!_

**A/N: So what did ya think of the drunken Inuyasha? XD I loved writing that! Anyhow, thoughts? **

**Quick shout outs:**

**InuxKagsForever:**** Here ya go XD As for Naraku disappearing…I am already planning his demise :D A long painful one would be preferable, no? -Has an idea-**

**bridgettecouture: **** I'm glad ya like it :D**

**Warm-Amber92: ****The hunt semi-sort of began XD But I agree! Adventure and such is fun!**

**makorrarocks:**** I'm glad ya think it's funny XD I love writing it, so I'm glad you like reading it!**

**kisaandharu: ****Once again, I'm glad you like it!**


	11. Koga's Shards Start An Argument

**A/N: Lolz so thanks to all of you people XD Disclaimers!**

Inuyasha growled low in his throat, golden eyes locked on Koga angrily. "What the hell do you want, wolf?"

Koga scowled at Inuyasha in response. "I heard Kags got in a car wreck and wanted to come see how she was holding up. What the hell are you doing here anyway? Don't you have a mansion or some fancy condo you could be hiding out in?"

Inuyasha's gaze darkened at the word 'mansion', and Kagome noticed. Before he could say anything, she smiled brightly at Koga. Though the smile was forced. "It's nice of you to worry, Koga, but I'm fine. I only had a slight injury. Besides, Inuyasha here is my boyfriend and…he's staying for a few days with his cousin because of something that happened. Not," she added hastily. "That that's any of your business."

Koga raised an eyebrow and leaned against the doorway. "He's your boyfriend," he repeated, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right."

Kagome stiffened slightly in anger. "He is!"

Inuyasha smirked at the stench of jealously coming from the wolf and pulled Kagome closer. "So you can leave now," he drawled with a smirk on his face. "'Cause Kagome's fine."

"Wait, wait, wait," Kagome said suddenly, frowning. "Koga, where did you get those things in your legs?"

"What things?" Inuyasha demanded, his grip tightening on her.

Koga glanced down at his shins and grinned. "Oh, so you saw them? I'm surprised the mutt didn't. I just found them on the side of the street. They were showing some pretty good power and nobody seemed to be looking for them so I put them in my legs. Now I go way faster than before." Koga finished, smirking at Inuyasha.

Kagome tilted her head curiously. "What are they called?"

Koga shrugged. "I dunno. Why?"  
Kagome knelt down to get a closer look at Koga's legs, ignoring Inuyasha's warning growl. "They have a really pure light, that's all."

Koga tilted his own head. "Strange. I'd better go." He added thoughtfully, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, yeah! I forgot! One second, Kagome!" He vanished, and then returned with a bouquet of roses. "I brought some get better flowers for ya!"

Kagome blushed, still ignoring Inuyasha's growl, which had increased fairly well. Kagome took the roses with a bright smile. "Thanks, Koga!"  
Koga grinned and then disappeared.

Inuyasha's ear twitched and he turned on Kagome. "What's wrong with you? What's with all the weird questions? And I thought you hated him!"

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Kagome teased, gently tweaking his twitching ear. "Don't worry; you're way more important to me than Koga, Inuyasha." Then her gaze darkened. "And Inuyasha? Promise me you won't hurt him. He's my friend."

"Sure, sure," Inuyasha said sarcastically. "Why?"

"He has some Sacred Jewel shards…"

_-OO-_

"What do ya need?" Sango asked with a yawn when she had answered the phone. "'Cause I'm trying to sleep off that hangover and fend off Miroku's still drunken hand at the same time, Kags. I can't stay on for long."

Kagome laughed, and then became serious. "San, you know how the Jewel shattered, right? Well, I found two shards."

Sango's attention was immediately caught. "You did? Miroku, stop! Kags found another shard!" She added in a snappish tone as the said man probably started trying to grope her. "Where?"

"You remember Koga?"

"Of course. You're the woman who gains the attention of every _youkai_, _hanyou_, and mortal under the sun. How could I forget the _youkai_ that has gone to any measure to get you to go on a single date with him, Kags? Jeez. Have more faith in me. Anyhow, he has them?"

"Yeah…could you maybe help me get them from him?" Kagome asked, aware of the fact that a certain _hanyou_ was sitting next to her, growling furiously. Finally, her patience with him snapped. "Oh, shut the hell up, Inuyasha! It's not like I'm dating the guy! You have nothing to worry about!"  
"Who said I was thinking of that?" Inuyasha snapped in reply, his fangs gleaming as he bared his teeth.

"You were! That proves it!" Kagome snapped back, irritated. "Jeez! I'm allowed to have friends…right?" She asked sarcastically.

"Keh! Damn it, wench!" Inuyasha growled in exasperation. "I can't believe I actually like you sometimes!"  
"I think I'd better let you go…" Sango said quietly on the other end of the line, and then hung up.

Kagome slammed the phone down, eyes brimming with tears. "Well thanks for letting me know. Maybe I should have just died in the crash because I'm obviously not loveable," she muttered angrily, getting up and stalking towards the door. She opened it, and then slammed it behind her.

Inuyasha stared after her in surprise. _She doesn't mean that…does she?_ He asked himself, worried for Kagome. He didn't mean that he didn't…well, love her. He knew he really did. But she just irritated him sometimes! He let out a small whine, scrambling up and darting out the door after her. "Kagome, wait!"

Kagome was nowhere to be seen…and neither was his car.

_-OO-_

Sango, who had fallen back asleep after hanging up on Kagome, woke up to frantic knocks on her door. Kirara was hissing slightly. "WHO THE HELL IS IT THIS TIME?" she roared, storming towards the door. "I'M TRYING TO SLEEP, DAMN IT!" When she slammed open the door, she was shocked to see a worried Inuyasha. "What the hell do you want?" she sighed.

"Is Kagome here?" Inuyasha practically whimpered, sniffing the air frantically. "I can't find her!"

Sango was instantly alert. "I thought she was with you!"

Inuyasha shot her an anxious look. "I said something and she ran off saying she should have died…! You have to help me find her! I didn't mean it!" he whined, his ears flattening. "Please, Sango!"

Miroku appeared behind Sango, rubbing his eyes. "I've never heard…heard you beg before…" he said through a yawn, throwing his arm around Sango's shoulders. "Come on, San, let's help him. You have to be worried, too." He spoke calmly. He had never before heard Inuyasha this worried.

Sango sighed with a nod. "Let me get dressed, get Hiraikotsu and Kirara, and I'll start looking. Miroku and come with me. Try checking the park that's a few miles south of here."

Inuyasha nodded and darted away. "She took my car," he called over his shoulder.

Sango groaned.

_-OO-_

Kagome sat sulking in the hidden bed of flowers at the park Sango had told Inuyasha about. She sighed. _I can't believe he said that!_ She said to herself, wiping the tears away from her eyes. She normally wouldn't cry about such a stupid argument, but…his words had stung to the point of pain.

Kagome plucked a flower angrily and began tearing apart the petals. "I'm an idiot," she murmured to herself. "I guess I over reacted…damn. I'm a twenty two year old acting like a ten year old…" she sighed again and slid her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

A moment later, she heard a faint voice calling for something. She looked up in surprise. Nobody had ever gotten this close to the flowers before! The only one who knew was Sango, and this voice was distinctly male. She immediately recognized the silver hair and scowled, refusing to respond. She watched as Inuyasha seemed to droop slightly, then walk in the opposite direction.

Kagome sighed in relief and leaned back against the tree, closing her eyes and slipping into a deep slumber.

_-OO-_

"Any luck, Inuyasha?" Sango called as Kirara landed, her friend and owner on her back with Miroku hanging on as well.

Inuyasha looked absolutely miserable. "No."

Sango nodded with a furrowed brow, thinking. "I might know where she is. Did you find your car?"

Inuyasha nodded, his eyes narrowed with worry. "Yes, I did. That's what's got me worried. Do you think she's okay?" He asked quietly, his ears drooping.

"Yes, she probably is. What exactly did you say, Inuyasha?" Sango asked curiously. "You didn't say anything to hurt her pride, did you?"

Inuyasha growled. "Can we just find her? I don't want her to disappear…"

Sango nodded. "Follow me and Kirara!" She announced, patting Kirara's shoulder. "Kirara, remember that flowery place?" Kirara roared with a nod. "Then go to that spot. I think that's where Kagome is, okay, Kirara?"

Kirara bounded in the direction of the place Sango was speaking about. Inuyasha followed close behind, running at top speed. When Kirara stopped with a purr, nosing her way between some bushes, Inuyasha scrambled out behind her.

Inuyasha's gaze locked immediately on a form that leaned against a tree. With a whimper, he darted forward and knelt down beside it, whining softly. "Kagome?" He murmured, gently shaking the said girl. "Are you okay? Kagome!"

Kagome woke up slowly, her eyes blurry with sleep. "Huh?" she muttered, clumsily rubbing her eyes. Then she recognized who it was and immediately began to glower at him…until she noticed the frantically worried expression on his face. Then her gaze drifted to Sango and Miroku on Kirara, who were looking at her with equally worried expressions. "What are you doing here?" She asked, scowling at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha flattened his little dog ears. "Kagome! We were worried sick about you!" He said, his eyes searching hers. "Are you okay?"

Kagome's mood softened a little. "I'm fine, jeez. Although I don't see why _you_ care." She added snappishly to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha suddenly jerked her into his arms, burying his face in her neck. "Don't just run off again, got it, wench?" he mumbled, breathing in her scent to reassure himself that she was okay. After a moment, he murmured softly, "And I'm sorry."

Kagome blushed furiously when she saw the grins on Sango and Miroku's faces. "Okay, okay, get off!" She squealed, her face bright red. "You're forgiven!"

Inuyasha smirked and released her, though he kept his arm around her in a possessive sort of way. "Are you sure you're okay?" he looked confident, but his tone was anxious.

Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Inuyasha. Now, how about we all go back before night falls and the rouge demons come out?" She said sarcastically, folding her arms.

Inuyasha sighed in relief, happy that she had forgiven him.

**A/N: Okay, so it's really short and badly written, but I didn't want to just do an author's note, which is against the rules . so my dad is deploying in a week and one day and I really don't feel like writing. My updating for all stories will be REALLY slow for a while, so I hope you forgive me! Peace!**


	12. Happy Birthday Kagome!

**A/N: :D Got some muse for this story! Disclaimers!**

Kagome stretched in her bed, smiling. It was still summer vacation, and she enjoyed it as much as her kids at school did. She suddenly frowned as her hand hit something warm and that 'something' grunted. She looked over to her right and found a fully dressed Inuyasha, snoring softly.

Kagome toppled out of her bed in surprise, knocking her alarm clock her night stand in the process. The process woke Inuyasha, who groggily shot forward and fell off the other side of her bed. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He yawned, rubbing the back of his head.

Kagome glowered at him angrily. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing in my _bed_, Inuyasha? I specifically told you! No sleeping in my bed with me! Hell, Shippo might walk in and see you!"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow after climbing back on her bed, leaning back and folding his hands behind his head. "That's your reason for not wanting me in your bed? So, if he were to go spend the night at his friends…"

"Inuyasha, I swear to Kami, if you say what I think you're going to say, I will personally call Sango and get her over here to whip your damn ass!" Kagome hissed furiously, walking over and clonking him over the head.

Inuyasha caught her hand as she retracted it and entwined his fingers with her. "You wouldn't call Sango…" he said 'innocently'. "Then she'll kill me and you'll have nobody to protect you. And you know you don't want me gone…"

"Oh shut up!" Kagome snapped, though her anger was fading against her will. "Are we going looking for Jewel Shards today?"

"Why should we?" Inuyasha said sarcastically, his temper flaring already. "All we have to do is kill the damn wolf and take his Jewel Shards! Then he can stop texting those damn messages!" He added, glowering at Kagome's phone as it vibrated.

"Psh, that's not Koga…" Kagome trailed off as she peered at the screen. She hesitated, and then opened it curiously. "Damn him…" she groaned, plopping onto her bed and laying on her stomach.

(**Koga**, Kagome)

**Would you consider a friendly date this Friday?**

Kagome shoved the phone at Inuyasha so he could read it, and then quickly took it back when the _Inu_ demon broke into a growling fit. "Hell no!" he snarled, struggling to take the phone from Kagome.

Before he could, Kagome typed back, can't. sorry though! As she went to click send, Inuyasha was suddenly resting his chin on her shoulder, peering at the screen. He gave a satisfied growl before sitting back.

Kagome rolled her eyes and sent it, then said, "You could have _asked_ what I was going to say before trying to break my damn phone, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pulled her into his lap – which had Kagome blushing terribly. "Well I'm sor –"

He was cut off as the phone began vibrating again. Kagome checked it and easily flipped it open with a grin. "Yo, Sango! What's up?"

"Get me out of this damn house," Sango hissed into the phone.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha warily as she heard a huge commotion in the background and said, "What's wrong?"

"The damn monk tried to grope Rin, and Sesshomaru attacked him, and now Rin's yelling at him to calm down while Miroku's running around…" Sango said through gritted teeth, probably glaring at the scene before her.

Kagome laughed, leaning against Inuyasha's chest as he began playing with her hair like a child. "Why don't you and me go on a trip to the mall by _ourselves_," she suggested, shooting a pointed look at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha growled low in his throat, shaking his head.

"Sure!" Sango said eagerly. "I'll stop by your place with my car in ten minutes…MIROKU I AM NOT A SHIELD!" She yelled before hanging up.

Kagome twisted in Inuyasha's lap to look at him. "You are _not_ coming with us."

"Yeah, I am. What if you find a Shikon Jewel shard, huh?" Inuyasha growled, ears swiveling.

Kagome couldn't resist the temptation. She climbed out of his lap and raised herself on her knees to rub his ears. "Sango has Hiraikotsu and Kirara. I'll be fine."

Inuyasha carefully pulled away, waited patiently for Kagome to sit with her legs straight out, then set his head in her lap so she could easily mess with his ears. As she eagerly rubbed them, he felt his eyelids droop. "I'm not questioning Sango. But every time you go out of my sight, you get hurt or attacked."

Kagome gently tweaked one of his ears affectionately, and then scratched at the bases. "It's the mall. There are hundreds and hundreds of people and _youkai_ who will stop an attack, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's eyes closed as he growled and pushed his head into her hands when she went to pull away. "Fine. You get two hours."

"Three or even four at the most, Inuyasha," Kagome smiled, patting his head. "Kagome obviously needs a break…damn," she added with a sigh. "I don't have that much…oh well. I'll just hang out with her then…"

Inuyasha opened his eyes to bore his gaze into hers. "What do you mean 'that much'?"

Kagome shook her head, gently lifting his head and scooting out from under it to get up and get dressed. "Nothing, Inuyasha," she replied, heading over to her closet and picking out some nice clothes. Her red tank top, her white shorts, and her red flip flops. "Now out you go so I can get changed."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me," Inuyasha answered stubbornly, growling loudly.

"I don't have as much money as I should, that's all." Kagome gave in and told him. "I don't get a lot as a teacher who teaches _youkai_, and I lose way more in the summer…that's all, Inuyasha. Now out! I need to change!"

Inuyasha sighed and walked out of the room.

_-OO-_

A horn honked, signaling Kagome's ride and friend. "I'm off, Yash!" She called, starting to the front door after giving Shippo a hug goodbye.

Inuyasha instantly materialized beside her, arms snaking around her waist and pulling her to him. He sighed as he gave her a tight hug, then leaned down and kissed her on the lips before pulling away. "You have three and a half hours," he reminded her. "If you're not back by then, I'm grabbing Sesshomaru and Miroku and we're hunting you down, got it?"

Kagome nodded and smiled up at him. "I'll be fine. You act like I've never gone out of the house before, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha tapped a finger to his chin thoughtfully for a moment, trying to remember something. "Oh, yeah! Hold on a sec!" he dug in his pocket for a minute and produced his wallet, then began to dig into _that_ and pulling out quite a bit of cash. He stuffed it into her hand. "There. Remember the time limit!" He was gone, walking into the living room where Shippo was struggling to play Kagome's Wii that she had bought.

Kagome stared at the wad of cash for a moment then opened the door and slipped outside. She walked over to Sango's car, opened the door and climbed in.

Sango groaned. "About damn time…damn! Where the hell did all that come from?"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome murmured softly, carefully counting out the money. Her eyes widened. "San…he gave me three thousand bucks. What the hell are we going to buy that'll cost this much at the mall?"

Sango's eyes widened as well as she pulled out of the driveway. "Damn, Kags! He really loves you a lot to give you_ that_ much for going to the mall…"

Kagome's throat tightened as she carefully tucked the money away in her wallet for later, and then leaned against the window to look out. "I guess…" they hadn't exactly said the famous term 'I love you' to each other…_yet…_ she added silently. _We haven't said it yet._

When they got to the mall, they immediately veered towards the clothing department, happily browsing through the clothes. After a few hours of laughter, cloth, cloth, and more cloth, Kagome's eye was caught by a flash of red in a window as they passed a shop. She turned to face it and found a dress. Her eyes widened and she prodded Sango. "Sango!"  
Sango followed her gaze and almost dropped her bags. "How much is it?"  
The red dress was, to easily say, beautiful. It had one shoulder strap that had a red rose, and a few ruffles went down the sides. It stopped at the floor and the dress split at one side of the skirt, revealing more leg on one side than the other. A sash wrapped around the waist.

Kagome read the price tag. "It's…one fifty…" she sighed, looking with adoration at the dress. She could already see the perfect outfit coming into place. The dress…hair piled on top of the head with a red rose on one side…black heels...black handbag… She explained her idea to Sango.

"Well, get it."

Kagome glanced over her shoulder in surprise at Sango. "You've got to be joking."

"Inuyasha gave you the money," Sango shrugged as she spoke. "He probably wants you to be happy. If you want it that badly, get it. We'll get you some accessories to go with it, too." She smiled gently, and then walked over to a woman with a nametag. "Hello, could you get that red dress down for my friend to try on? She's thinking of buying it…"  
The woman looked surprised. "Really? I don't know _why_ the manager put it in here…nobody in this area's rich enough to buy it…unless you're the Takahashi boys, as I heard their father and mother died…" she murmured the last part sadly as she got the dress and handed it over to Kagome.

Kagome remained silent, giving her a small smile. "Thanks," she said softly, then handed her bags to Sango before going over to the dressing rooms.

She slipped her clothes off – including her bra – and slipped the dress on. She examined herself in the mirror for a moment, and then called, "Hey! Sango, I'm coming out now!"  
"Damn, hurry up! I wanna see!" Sango laughed, her voice light and teasing.

Kagome smiled and stepped out of the dressing room…to find Sango surrounded by Sesshomaru, Rin, Miroku, Shippo and finally Inuyasha. Her eyes widened and she glowered at Sango. "What the _hell_ are they doing here?"

_-OO-_

Inuyasha snickered quietly as Sango hit Miroku over the back of her his head when he attempted to grope her. He hadn't been joking about hunting his woman down if she didn't return within the time limit.

"Hey! Sango, I'm coming out now!" Kagome's voice suddenly came from a dressing room and his ears pricked up at the sound of her voice.

"Damn, hurry up!" Sango laughed, smirking at Inuyasha and mouthing 'you are so gonna love this' before adding, "I wanna see!"  
Kagome stepped out, the smile fading when she saw all of her friends surrounding Sango. "What the _hell _are they doing here?" She hissed angrily.

Inuyasha felt a light blush coat his cheeks as he saw Kagome in the dress Sango had been excited about for no damn reason. It hugged her perfectly, showing off her curves, and quite a bit of leg on her right side – not something he really approved of if they were going out or something, as it might cause other males to look at her – but she was beautiful. She was perfect. As if the dress was made for her. "Err, we…I…they…" he stammered, fumbling with his words and unable to form them. "You look nice." He finally managed.

Kagome broke into a smile at his expression and reaction, and turned back to Sango. She gave a small twirl and asked, "What do ya think? Do you like it?"

Sango examined with a crucial girl's eye and nodded. "It's perfect for you. You're buying it." She concluded.

Kagome shook her head. "No, I like it and everything, but I'm not using your money to buy it, Inuyasha!" She announced, starting back into the dressing room.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as she walked back in, and then turned to Sango. "When's her birthday?"  
Sango gave him a quizzical look. "Shouldn't you already know this? Its tomorrow, Inuyasha, why…oh!" She grinned. "You're getting her that for her birthday. In that case, Rin! Take Sesshomaru with you to the shoe store to find some really nice black heels, no matter what the price, a black head piece – preferably a rose – and a silver chain necklace with something special from Inuyasha. Got it?" Sango wrote down Kagome's shoe size and handed it to her.  
Rin laughed and took off, dragging her huffing husband with her. "Got it!"  
Kagome came out a moment later, holding the dress with a sad look. "I feel bad that I can't buy it for that lady…"

Sango rolled her eyes and took it from her, handing it to Inuyasha with a wink. "Go give this back to the saleswoman…" she grinned.

Inuyasha smirked back and stalked off to 'give it back'.

_-OO-_

The next day arrived and Kagome flew out of bed…to find Inuyasha was already up and downstairs, making breakfast. She frowned as she came into the kitchen; Inuyasha was helping Shippo make pancakes. "I didn't know it was possible for you two to actually wake up this early!" She laughed, reaching up and tugging affectionately on Inuyasha's ear.

Inuyasha grinned, flashing his fangs at her. "I figured that since it was your birthday, we owed ya."

"Yeah! Happy birthday!" Shippo cried, copying Inuyasha's grin. "We're gonna all go over to Sango's later, 'kay?"

Kagome felt tears appear in her eyes suddenly as she smiled brightly. Never before had she actually _had_ friends other than Sango to celebrate something with. She had had Sango, her brother, Gramps, her mother, and her cat. That was it for the last few years. Now she had so many friends that were excited that she had been born!

Inuyasha's gaze darkened and he looked worriedly at her. "Are you okay?"

Kagome nodded, wiping a tear away. "Yeah," she croaked, smiling with watery eyes. "I'm just happy I have such great friends…"

Shippo flew into her arms, releasing the pan that he had been holding when Inuyasha grabbed it. "Don't cry, Kagome!" he yelled, tugging on her hair. "Don't cry! Then I'll cry!"

Kagome laughed, and hugged the young fox.

_-OO-_

Shippo hurried into Sango's quickly, and Kagome followed with Inuyasha, his arm draped lazily around her waist. "They're having a party at three thirty in the afternoon?" Kagome asked, raising an eyebrow as she struggled not to laugh at the crazy decorations she could see from outside the window.

Inuyasha lightly squeezed her waist and smirked. "They let Shippo decorate. What did you expect?"  
"Shippo _has_ been strangely excited," Kagome agreed with a laugh, opening the front door.

Sango was immediately there with a grin, doe eyes bright with laughter. "Kagome! About damn time! Ya gotta come over here and see the cake! Rin chose it!"

Kagome groaned at the thought of _Rin_ of all people choosing her cake. "I'm scared already," she joked as Sango jerked her away from Inuyasha and over to the cake. And she was slightly intimidated by the size of the cake. It was as tall as the petite Rin herself! "Damn, Rin!" She gasped as she looked at the said girl. "You went overboard!"

Rin laughed and leaned against Sesshomaru, who was staring coolly around the room. "I wanted you to like it!"  
Kagome sighed good naturally, using her finger to take a piece of frosting and taste it. "Delicious! Can we eat it yet?"

"YEAH! IF KAGOME EATS IT WE CAN GIVE HER THE GIFTS!" Shippo suddenly yelled, scaring Kagome half to death. If Inuyasha hadn't been there in time to save her, she would have toppled right into the cake!

Kagome laughed and Miroku eagerly began dishing out plates of cake to everybody.

Everyone enjoyed themselves as they ate the cake and drinking the punch that Shippo had made with the help of Sango. Sesshomaru seemed to be bored, but Rin kept him in conversations to entertain him even a tiny bit.

After a bit, Shippo once again frightened everyone with his happy yelling. "SANGO! Can Kagome open her presents now?"

Sango almost dropped her plate. "Jeez, calm down, kid!" She joked, ruffling his hair. "Yes, Kagome can open her gifts."

Everyone put their plates up, and Sango led Kagome over to the couch. Kagome sat down in the middle of it, Inuyasha settling to her right and putting his arm – in a slightly possessive manor – over her shoulder and Shippo sat on her left. Rin plopped down eagerly beside Sango on the floor in front of them and Sesshomaru stood behind her. Miroku was reaching for some – nicely –wrapped gifts. Kagome couldn't help but laugh. It was like a child's party!

"Here! This one's from Sango…" Miroku muttered with a smirk, tossing it at Kagome. She caught it and carefully unwrapped the paper. She smiled as she found a fairly beautiful frame with a picture collage of every single one of her friends at the mall they had visited the day before.

Kagome smiled brightly, hugging the frame to her chest. "It's beautiful, San!"

Sango waved it off. "Eh, I thought it was something you would like!"  
Miroku tossed another, small package to Kagome, but missed and it hit Inuyasha smack in the face. Kagome burst out laughing, holding her stomach as Inuyasha shot a glare promising violence later at Miroku. He gently placed it in her hands. "Who gave this one?" Kagome asked.

"Me!" Shippo exclaimed, bouncing up and down. He smiled happily and Kagome ruffled his hair before opening it.

Kagome gasped when the gift turned out to be a little silver charm bracelet with little animals on it. "It's adorable, Shippo!" She cried, reaching over and hugging him tightly.

Shippo grinned happily at her. "You like it?"

"I love it!" She replied firmly, clipping it easily onto her wrist.

Next was Miroku's gift – a brand new nice phone – and Rin (and Sesshomaru's) – a car exactly like Kagome's old now dead one. "You guys can't buy people expensive presents!" she whined. "How am I gonna pay you back…?"

Rin waved it off with a laugh. "We're rich, Kagome. They cost nothing!"

And then finally it was time for Inuyasha's.

She could feel Inuyasha tense up beside her when Miroku tossed the final one over to her. It was a slightly large box. Kagome shot a curious glance at Inuyasha, whose eyes were wondering around the room.

She carefully unwrapped the white box, and then lifted the lid.

She almost toppled into Inuyasha's lap when she saw the red dress she had tried on, a silver necklace, black heels, and a black rose hair clip. It was for the exact look she had explained to Sango…she shot a suspicious glare at the said woman, who hummed and looked around with a smile.

After Kagome had settled her new clothes and accessories into the box, she twisted around to face Inuyasha, who was blushing lightly. Kagome smiled brightly then wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Thank you!" She whispered happily, then pulled away to look around happily at her friends. They had all gotten her such nice gifts…they were truly her friends…except for maybe Sesshomaru.

Kagome felt tears prick at the back of her eyes and shook her head in exasperation, unable to show how happy she felt. "I can't even…oh my…you guys…" she laughed suddenly, eyes filling with tears.

_They're not just friends. They're family._

_-OO-_

Kagome smiled, though she was now laced with a slight fear as she pulled into her driveway with her new car, Inuyasha right behind her. Inuyasha had said they were doing something special and that Shippo was staying at Sango's – this announcement had Kagome blushing furiously and threatening him if he crawled into her bed.

She scrambled out, almost rushing to slam the door behind her as a vision of the woman flashed before her eyes again. She shook it off and waited impatiently for Inuyasha. "What exactly are we doing?"

"We're going on a date," he replied simply, smiling…or smirking, she couldn't tell.

Kagome smiled brightly. "Where are we going?"

Inuyasha pulled her small box that contained his, Miroku's, and Sango's presents. "A place where you'll be able to wear your dress…do you like it?" He sounded anxious as he asked, glancing at her face.

Kagome laughed and kissed him lightly on the cheek before opening her front door. "Are you kidding? I love it!" She stepped inside…and ran smack into someone's chest.

**A/N: Hmmm…I was gonna have them go on their date…but that shall come later I guess XD Thoughts?**


	13. Souta's Surprise

**A/N: I got insanely bored…so I wrote XD Disclaimers and special thanks to Wolfy-lover Today, who gave me an idea XD Enjoy!**

Kagome screamed and jerked backwards only for the person in front of her to grab her gently by the shoulders.

Inuyasha swore and swiftly set the box down, not wanting to ruin her presents, and jerked Kagome away from whoever the hell it was. He snarled, yanking her behind him and standing defensively in front of Kagome. "Who the hell are you and what do you want?" He snarled, tensed and ready to attack.

Kagome fisted her hands fearfully in Inuyasha's shirt, peeking over his shoulder with wide eyes.

The man burst out laughing. "Jeez, you'd think I was some demon coming after you!" He gasped through his laughter.

Realization dawned on Kagome. "Souta!" She cried, ducking under Inuyasha's arm and hugging her younger brother, who seemed to be taller than her. "What the hell are you doing here?"  
Souta laughed, hugging his sister and shooting a curious glance at the silver haired guy she was with. "Nice to see you, too. Who's this guy? Someone I need to chase off?"  
"Keh!" Inuyasha snorted, cracking his knuckles. "I'd like to see you try!"  
Kagome laughed, pulling away from her brother to gently tug on Inuyasha's ear. "Souta, this is my boyfriend, Inuyasha Takahashi. Inuyasha, meet my younger brother, Souta Higurashi."

Souta raised an eyebrow, eyes sweeping over Inuyasha. "How the hell did you meet one of the Takahashi family?" he asked, patting his 'short' sister's head.

Kagome waved the question off with a hand, swooping down to pick up her gifts. "What are you doing here?" she asked, leading the way into the house. "And how did you get in?"

Souta rolled his eyes, shooting another curious glance at Inuyasha as the half-demon growled deep in his throat. "What, I can't have a reason for coming to see you, Sis? Happy birthday by the way…twenty three, huh? You're getting old…anyways, someone left your door unlocked."  
"_Inuyasha…_" Kagome groaned, shooting a glare at him. "You and Shippo were making me go so fast I forgot to lock it! Now," she added, setting her box down. "Souta, why are you here already?" She demanded.

Souta laughed and flopped down on her couch. Kagome settled beside him, and Inuyasha possessively wrapped his arm around her waist as he settled beside Kagome. "Well, I came here to tell ya I got engaged to that girl in America."

Kagome squealed, making Inuyasha flatten his ears. "Yay! I'm gonna have some nephews and nieces!" She squealed, clapping her hands together with a cheerful look.

Souta rolled his eyes. "Please…we're not going that far yet. I had to leave her at her home to come here, but we're thinking of possibly moving back here…"

Kagome smiled brightly, eyes dancing in the light of the lit up house. "You must move back here! Then little Shippo can play with your kids when you have them!"

"Who's Shippo?" Souta gave a teasing smirk. "Your guy's kid?"

Inuyasha sputtered incoherent words and Kagome started blushing wildly.

"No, no," Kagome coughed, shooting a glare at her brother. "He's Inuyasha's little cousin. Some…things happened at the mansion they lived in and he and Shippo are staying with me while Sesshomaru –Inuyasha's brother, or half-brother," she corrected when Inuyasha growled. "Sesshomaru, his wife, Rin, and Sango's new boyfriend, Miroku, are staying at Sango's place."

Souta nodded in understanding. "Must have been bad…sorry for whatever happened, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha snorted, and lightly squeezed Kagome's waist. "Keh! Doesn't matter. We're just waiting for some stuff to clear out, and then we're moving back."  
_Uh-huh. _Kagome snorted silently. _Like you're going to leave._ She rolled her eyes and said to Souta, "So do you need a place to stay? You're welcome to stay here."

"Nah. I got a room at a pretty nice hotel," Souta replied. "So what did you do today?"

Kagome laughed and went into a detailed description of her party…then gasped, "OH! We're going out! I completely forgot!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, an ear swiveling around to focus on the door. "Keh! How could you forget? I got that dress for you and everything!"

Souta smiled and stood. "Then I'll come back and visit some more tomorrow…we can hang out or something, catch up, all that! Then I gotta head back to America and my fiancé…" A silly grin appeared on his face.

Kagome laughed and stood up to walk him to the door, Inuyasha hot on her tail as she led him to it. "It was nice seeing you, Souta! Come back tomorrow!" She called, and then closed the door. She turned to face Inuyasha and found herself crashing into his chest. She grinned and looked up at him. "Are we still going?"

"Yep! Hurry up and change! I'm gonna go get my stashed clothes…"

~O~

Kagome peered out into the living room with a blush bright on her cheeks. Inuyasha was obviously waiting for her, nicely dressed up. Kagome was instantly curious to what restaurant they were going to. Inuyasha in a suit! Not expected!

**~A/N: Excuse the interruption but . Holy cheese! Seriously unexpected crazy T-Storm happening at the moment :D~**

Inuyasha's ear swirled in her direction and he grinned. "Are you coming out or not?"  
Kagome rolled her eyes but smiled and stepped into the living room. The red dress was just as it had been at the store, perfect for Kagome. As if it was made for her. She wore the black heels and the usually short woman reached Inuyasha's chin. The silver chain fit nicely around her slim neck and she also wore the charm bracelet that she had received from Shippo. Her black hair cascaded down her back instead of being piled on top of her head in her original vision, the black rose clip keeping two locks at the back of her head. She refused to wear makeup. "What do you think?" She asked timidly.

Inuyasha couldn't think of a word to describe her. Or a single one at least. "You're…" he fought for the word. _Sexy? No…beautiful? Maybe…amazing? _"You're the most amazingly beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on." He finished with a smirk. _And she's all mine…_

Kagome laughed, and gently poked him in the chest. "You don't look half bad yourself, dog boy."

"Keh!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Dog boy? When did you come up with that?"

"Five seconds ago," Kagome replied with a grin, reaching for his hand. He took it and she smiled, eyes dancing. "Shall we go?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes again. "I've been waiting for you, wench." He led the way out to his car, and then climbed in the driver's side. Kagome slipped into the passenger seat.

Just as Inuyasha pulled out of the driveway, Kagome's new amazing smart phone –courtesy of Miroku – buzzed. She pulled it out and frowned as she slowly figured out how to read a text on it. Then her frown deepened. "Hmmm…Souta wants to meet us somewhere. He says it's really important."  
Inuyasha growled. "Can it wait?"

Kagome typed the exact question in and received his reply. "Apparently not…How late is the restaurant open?"

"It never closes, Kagome," he replied with a sigh.

"Can we…?"

"Tell him to meet us at the park down the street from your house. The one you hid in when you were pissed off with me the other day."

Kagome sent the message as Inuyasha pulled into the park's parking lot.

~O~

Kagome sighed, leaning against the tree. "Where the hell is Souta?"

"You're asking me wench? He's your brother!" Inuyasha retorted, patience reaching its limit. "Let's go." He finally said after a moment, reaching over and gently tugging Kagome back towards his car. "Screw your brother, he can wait."

"But…"

"Kagome, it's your birthday. I want you to have fun! Not wait around for your damn brother who happens to be running late!"

"It's fine! I'm happy as long as you're with me!" she broke into a bright smile, lightly kissing him on the cheek.

Inuyasha growled softly, gently tugging her closer and pressing his lips to hers. He parted her lips with his own, gently tugging on her hair affectionately. Kagome smiled against him and responded by kissing him back. Inuyasha chuckled silently…when the moment was ruined by the once again vibrating phone. "Damn phone!" Inuyasha muttered, breaking away.

Kagome sighed and pressed the 'talk' on the touch screen. She lifted it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Sis!"

"Souta, where the _hell_ are you?" Kagome snapped. "We've been waiting for over half an hour!"  
Souta sounded confused as he responded, "What are you talking about, Kags? I'm sitting on the couch, waiting for my girlfriend to get back from the bathroom to propose to her."

Kagome almost dropped her phone in surprise. "But…oh never mind. Sorry…why'd you call?"  
"To tell you I'm going to propose to my girlfriend…" Souta said slowly, voice wary. "Oh! I gotta go!" He hung up.

Kagome frowned slightly and tapped end. She tucked the phone away in her hand bag. "That's interesting…" She murmured, leaning against Inuyasha as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Apparently Souta's still in America…"

Inuyasha sounded puzzled. "Then how in hell is he here?"

A flash of lights announced the arrival of their said 'friend'. "Time to find out…"

When 'Souta' had walked over, a solemn look on his face, Kagome found herself being pushed behind Inuyasha, who was growling. "Bastard…" he snarled, ears flattened. "Guess we've found ya, huh?"  
Kagome peered over his shoulder, confused. "What are you talking about?" She murmured softly, confused.

Inuyasha growled back, "Call Miroku and Sesshomaru and tell them to get their asses over here. Just say Naraku and the address of the park and they'll be high tailing it over here."  
Kagome's eyes widened with shock as she pulled out her phone. _Naraku…took the form of…Souta?_ She quickly called Miroku's number as the form before them changed into something much more sinister. "I see you aren't as stupid as I hoped…" the man's voice changed into a deeper tone. "I must admit…I was proud that I was able to disguise my scent and aura so well in this form…" Souta's form was replaced by a man with red eyes and long black hair, wearing the clothes 'Souta' had.

"Yo?" Miroku's voice came on the other end. "Kagome?"

She quickly said the address of the park, and then added in a hiss, "Naraku!" Before hanging up. By now, Inuyasha had unsheathed the well hidden Tetsusaiga and was snarling violently at Naraku.

"What the hell do you want," Inuyasha snarled, tensing as Kagome rested her hand on his back to comfort herself. He knew she was confused and scared, but now was not the time to reassure her. He would do that later. _Damn! This is not cool! I should have stayed away from her so that she wouldn't get involved in this! Okay, so maybe she would have still as she had Shikon no Tama, but he's going to use her to get to me!_

"I'd be happy to leave if you let me kill you," Naraku suggested with a cold smirk. "And perhaps the woman could be of _very_ good use to me…"

Inuyasha's eyes flashed red and Kagome whimpered, making him tense even more. _Damn it! _He cursed. _Not the time to go demon…where the HELL did he GO?_

"Inuyasha!" Kagome gasped, quickly turning and hiding behind him again as Naraku reappeared behind them.

Naraku raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I see your demon has claimed her…but you have not? I must say, you amaze me still, half-breed."

Inuyasha seethed with hatred. "You killed my parents and Kohaku…you're not getting near Kagome!"

Naraku rolled his crimson eyes, black hair fluttering in the breeze. "And how do you plan to stop me?" He vanished…reappearing right behind Kagome.

Kagome squeaked and darted to the side. With Naraku suddenly distracted and intent on wrapping his –disgusting – tentacles around her to capture her, Inuyasha struck. He lashed out with Tetsusaiga, catching the demon's shoulder. It went right through to the other side. Inuyasha jerked Kagome out of his grasp and onto his back, leaping a good distance away. "Stay here!" He commanded, producing Tetsusaiga's sheathe and sticking it in the ground in front of her. "And do _not_ move!"

Kagome nodded and watched in horror as Inuyasha ran straight for Naraku.

~O~

Meanwhile…

Miroku dropped his phone and started yelling, "SESSHOMARU! HURRY AND GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR! INUYASHA FOUND THAT BASTARD!"

Sesshomaru was at the door in an instant. "_What the hell are we waiting for then!_" He hissed. Both men vanished into Sesshomaru's large car, leaving two very confused women behind them.

They drove quickly and wildly through the streets, the breaks screeching to a halt in the said park's parking lot as they arrived. The both scrambled out to find Inuyasha breathing heavily, wielding his Tetsusaiga, which was pointed at a smug Naraku. Naraku glanced over his shoulder to smirk at the two new people. "Huh…"

Miroku's hand flew to the prayer beads that sealed his Wind Tunnel. "About damn time you came back! You're not going to live for very long this time!"

Naraku rolled his eyes, flashing a glance at Kagome, who cringed away. Inuyasha shifted so that his form blocked Naraku's view. "You have said that each time we met. I doubt to whether it'll happen."

Inuyasha growled, then suddenly cried out in pain as one of Naraku's tentacles somehow managed to tear through his shoulder. He dropped to a knee, cursing loudly. "Damn…" he growled, shooting a worried gaze at Kagome. She was staring at him in horror. That look made his decision. "I'm sorry, Kagome," he whispered…then tossed the Tetsusaiga away.

His demon blood took over almost instantly, but this time it didn't just want to protect him only like usual. He had to protect Kagome, too. Bright red bled into his eyes, and his pupils turned icy blue. His claws and fangs grew, and ragged purple stripes appeared on his cheeks. He let out a snarl that nobody was able to comprehend.

Kagome's eyes widened in confusion. "Inu…yasha?" She murmured, staring at the 'half-demon'.

Sesshomaru let out a growl of his own. "It seems," he began, but was interrupted by another snarl from Inuyasha. Then he continued. "It seems the half-breed chose to let his demon blood take over."

Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru, confused. "What does that mean?"

"That means he doesn't know who we are, only that he will attack any of us…though this transformation seems different from the others…" Miroku answered with a frown. "I wonder what he'll…damn!" he jumped to avoid a tentacle as it slammed into the ground at his feet, and landed a foot away from where he had been.

Another tentacle did the same to Sesshomaru – he just side stepped it calmly – and another towards Kagome. The barrier of Tetsusaiga's sheathe stopped it in its tracks, but Kagome shrieked in fear.

Inuyasha snarled, slicing the tentacle off with his claws. He leaped and came to a halt in front of Kagome, red eyes furious as he glowered at Naraku. He growled loudly, eyes darting around then back towards Naraku as he kept an eye out for more of Naraku's – disgusting – tentacles.

"It appears that he knows who the woman is," Sesshomaru mused out loud, mostly to himself. "Interesting…"

Inuyasha shot a growl at Sesshomaru, and then clawed his way through another tentacle. With a hoarse voice – as he wasn't used to speaking in this form – he growled, "Stay…away."

Miroku blinked and then said, "I don't get it! Usually he tries to kill everyone he sees when he's like this!" He threw his hands in the air, and then yelped as another tentacle skimmed his shoulder. He suddenly took the prayer beads off and a huge amount of wind appeared, aimed at Naraku.

Inuyasha grunted, struggling not to be blown in the direction of the Wind Tunnel. Kagome's small whimper of fear caught his attention though and he glanced over his shoulder, eyes flashing with anger as he saw her staring fearfully at Naraku, who hadn't moved an inch.

Miroku closed the Wind Tunnel when he saw it wasn't working, and Inuyasha took the chance to lunge at Naraku, raking his claws through the enemy's body. Naraku seemed to melt almost, but then his body went back together like a puzzle. _Damn!_ Miroku cursed, darting in the direction of Kagome. "Sesshomaru! Help Inuyasha! I'll get…never mind!" He backed away when he saw Inuyasha about to turn on him.

Kagome, on the other hand, decided that her help was needed. Never having done this before, she looked around for something she could use. She found a stick, an empty can, and someone's bow…who the heck left a bow at the park…a bow! She scrambled for it, closing her fist around it. She easily found the arrows and notched one. Going on instinct, she aimed carefully at Naraku, hoping desperately her plan would work.

She fired.

The arrow soared through the air –to Kagome's relief – and hit Naraku square in the chest. Just as it had with Inuyasha's attack, his body seemed to melt…but it didn't reform! Kagome cheered quietly, notching another arrow.

Naraku hissed in anger and pain, shooting another tentacle at Kagome, who didn't seem to realize she was outside of the sheath's barrier. It shot right past Kagome, skimming the length of her arm. Blood appeared…and caused Inuyasha to become a very pissed off demon.

Inuyasha let out the loudest snarl anyone had ever heard, instantly upon Naraku when he smelt Kagome's blood. He began lashing out wildly with his claws, tearing the wound that he already had.

Naraku let out a hiss of frustration as the Miroku and Sesshomaru quickly joined in, as well as Kagome's arrows. _This is not going as planned…I did not plan on Inuyasha coming along…_With a sudden twist, he was flying into the sky in a twister of miasma, and then vanished.

Kagome dropped the bow and scrambled over, heaving for breath. She reached her friends and Sesshomaru as Inuyasha dropped to his knees. "Inuyasha!" She cried, flinging herself down beside him. She gently touched one of the purple stripes on his cheek.

Inuyasha jerked away with a snarl, a hand flying up to tightly grip Kagome's wrist. His claws pricked her skin, drawing blood.

Kagome squeaked in surprise, gently trying to take her hand away.

Miroku suddenly appeared beside them, grasping the Tetsusaiga. He shoved it into Inuyasha's free hand – the one that wasn't trying to snap Kagome's wrist in half – and said, "Inuyasha! You're hurting Kagome!"  
Inuyasha's red eyes returned to gold and the stripes faded away. His fangs and claws shrank fairly quickly and with a sudden jerk, he dropped Kagome's hand, eyes wide with shock. "Damn it!" he cursed, voice hoarse from all the snarling he had done.

Kagome's eyes widened and she threw her arms around Inuyasha's neck. "You're okay!"

Inuyasha almost toppled over, biting back a hiss of pain. "I'm fine, Kagome," he muttered, shooting a 'leave-before-I-kill-you' look at Sesshomaru and Miroku. Both nodded curtly and left. Inuyasha carefully wrapped his arms around Kagome –aware of the fact that one arm was bleeding heavily – and began soothing her as she broke into sobs. "Why are you crying?" He demanded as she buried her face in his neck.

Kagome began cursing violently, slightly scaring Inuyasha. "Kagome!" He snapped, gently pushing her away. "What the hell is wrong with you?"  
Kagome scrubbed furiously at her eyes, leaving a small amount of blood on her face. Inuyasha gingerly removed it as she said, "Don't do that demon thing again! You scared me half to death, damn it!" She said the last sentence in a yell, tears threatening to spill again.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, carefully standing up and helping her to her feet. His eyes took on a pained look as he saw the blood dripping from her arm. "Jeez, I'm sorry." He muttered, starting towards the car. _Damn! This is my fault! She would have been included because of the Shikon no Tama, but I made it worse! I can't stand seeing her hurt…I'm sorry, Kagome. I'm taking my family and leaving until we defeat that bastard. I won't let you get hurt ever again…_

**A/N: Surprise :D Wolfy-Lover Today, your idea turned out to give me another plot twist! Thanks! XD What did ya think guys?**


	14. A Fight

**A/N: Lolz XD So knew some people would make a Twilight (New Moon) connection. I'm gonna say this: I completely thought up that and the moment after I saw my Twilight books and did one of those *Head-slam-to-desk* things. I promise I'm not taking anything from Twilight XD **

**Disclaimers: If I owned what Rumiko Takahashi owns, there would be another two hundred episodes, Kikyo would keep coming back to life so I could give her horrible deaths, Inuyasha would kiss Kagome more than twice, etc. (By the way, anyone else know that they don't kiss at all in the manga? And Koga uses his sword in the manga…)**

**Enjoy!**

Kagome winced as Inuyasha silently and carefully bandaged up her wounded arm. "Are you okay?" She asked gently, nodding at his shoulder –which was still leaking out blood. "I need to bandage your wounds, too, so you don't get an infection."

Inuyasha just shook his head, thinking. _I know she might never forgive me for this, and that there's a chance she'll move on before we come back, but it'll keep her safe until we defeat Naraku. And if she's happier without me, so be it…_ He finished bandaging the length of her arm, and growled to himself, ears swiveling. "Damn! I can't believe I didn't recognize his scent!" He cursed.

"Inuyasha, it's not your fault," Kagome snapped, giving one of his ears a tug to get his attention. "I had just as much as a chance of you noticing. I could have read an evil aura or seen some difference in my 'brother's' behavior, but I didn't, okay? Now, let me bandage your shoulder!"  
Inuyasha just shook his head again, standing up and reaching for his keys. "I need to go talk with Sesshomaru and Miroku and maybe Shippo or Rin. Rin can do my shoulder while we're talking. I'll see you later." He gently kissed her head, feeling his heart twist at the thought of not being near her for a while, then turned and walked out the front door.

Kagome stared after him in confusion, her hand absentmindedly playing with the bandages. "Did I do something to piss him off…?" She murmured in confusion, eyes worried. "He'll come back later…" she comforted herself, reaching for her phone to text Sango. "He said he would. Besides, where else is he gonna stay?"

~O~

Inuyasha didn't knock, just opened the door and stepped in. "Yo!" He called, dumping his shoes on the floor. "Sesshomaru! Miroku! Rin! Shippo!"

Rin peeked around a corner that led to the living room. "There you are!" She exclaimed, coming out of 'hiding'. "You okay? Shippo's worried sick, you know."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and brushed past her. "Get everyone, even Sango. Sango will know what we're doing. And I gotta talk to her, too."

Rin nodded, eyes brimming with curiosity. "Okay…HEY! EVERYONE! TO THE LIVING ROOM!" She suddenly yelled, returning to her spot on the couch with Shippo.

Inuyasha flinched at the loud noise and settled down on the love seat across from the couch. Apparently nobody had been in the mood to clean up after Kagome's party... When everyone had piled into the living room, Inuyasha sat in silence for a moment, messing with a lock of his hair while trying to keep the guilt in his mind under control. Finally he looked up, eyes hard. "Look, we need to go and find Naraku."

"And…" Sango said, rolling her eyes. "You can't do that here?"

Inuyasha shut her up with a snarl. "You don't get it! Kagome got hurt because I was stupid and didn't realize that bastard was Naraku! I won't let that happen again…" he trailed off, then continued with an even more hardened gaze. "So we're going to stay away from Kagome until we've killed Naraku. Sango, you can do whatever you want. Hang out with her; that stuff. But the rest of us, we're staying away. Naraku will use her against us."

**~A/N: Bwahaha! XD I almost typed "So we're going to stay away from Kagome until we've killed Kagome." I'm such a dork sometimes XD~**

It clicked in Miroku's mind. "You're not telling her, are you." He said it as a statement, not a question. "You're just making us vanish until we've destroyed Naraku."

Inuyasha gave a curt nod.

Sango leaped to her feet, reaching for Hiraikotsu. "You bastard!" She snarled, eyes full of cold fury. "Kagome has been broken multiple times already! Damn it, Inuyasha, you don't get half of the stuff she's been through! You've been at war for hundreds of years, but have you ever stopped to consider that maybe the 'Secret War' is good for Kagome! Do you realize that someone killed her father? That her grandfather and mother raised her and are both dead? Souta's in America right now! She's alone except for me if you're gone! It'll kill her! You damn idiot! Everybody in this damn city hates her because she doesn't care whether anyone's _youkai_, _hanyou_, or mortal! There are multiple people besides Naraku who would be more than happy to kill her!" Sango fumed, her grip on the giant boomerang so tight, her knuckles were white. "IT COULD BE HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE YOU DESTROY HIM! BY THEN, KAGOME WILL BE DEAD!" She added in a bellow.

Everyone stared at her, shocked at her outburst. "Sango…" Miroku began hesitantly, fearful of her wrath. "I'm with you on this." He suddenly said, voice determined. "I'm not going anywhere, and if I have to, I'll tell Kagome. Inuyasha, I know you care for her and want what's best for her –in this case, her safety – but this isn't the way to go around it. She has spiritual powers, she could sense him. She could help. She could end this sooner and we could all get on with our lives. For Kami's sake, she was probably destined to be included in this! She had Shikon no Tama even though it vanished from Kikyo's family!"  
Inuyasha growled, struggling to make them see it his way. "I never said we wouldn't come back! As soon as he's gone, we'll find a way to clean up the Mansion and maybe even move Sango and Kagome into it!" He growled, glowering at the two.

To his surprise, Rin stood up with shaking hands. "Inuyasha," she said shakily, her petite form stiff. "You're going about this the wrong way. Kagome's already a part of the family, whether you plan on perhaps asking her to marry you or not… I'm not stupid," She added as she saw his shocked expression. "Someone has to organize your things. Besides, you haven't been dating that long. You should wait a bit longer. Anyways, Kagome is part of our family already. I'm not going anywhere either.

Sesshomaru was already obviously with his mate/wife, as he stood without saying anything.

Inuyasha was exasperated. "You guys, I'm just trying to keep her safe!" he snapped, glaring at Shippo as he jumped onto Miroku's shoulder.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said, ruffling Shippo's hair. "You're a fool to think that'll keep her safe. Naraku will still know you care for Kagome-Sama. He'll go after her anyways, perhaps even kill her or do some rather improper things just to piss you off. You'd be able to protect her better by staying here."

Inuyasha's eyes flashed red for a moment at his friend's comment. But then they returned to their normal golden color and he growled, "You don't know that. She could be safer without us, damn it! I could kill her if I accidentally went demon while we were trying to fight him!"  
"Do you want an excuse to break up with her?" Sango suddenly asked quietly, eyes narrowed.

"N-n-no…" Inuyasha stammered, eyes wide with shock. "Of course not! Kagome's…she's…she just means a lot to me and I want her to be safe!"

"You're sure," Sango stated.

"Yes!"  
_Click!_

"Then you might want to go apologize to her and not go anywhere," Sango said, holding up her open phone which said 'ended call'. "She called and I answered just as you announced your first words." She smirked, knowing there was no way he could win the argument now. "You're not going anywhere."

~O~

Kagome ended the phone briskly and was tempted to throw it, but instead settled for throwing one of her new heels. It hit the wall with a satisfied _thunk!_ and she did the same with the other one –leaving quite a large hole in the wall - before heading up the stairs, her anger growing by the moment. _I can't believe him! He was planning on abandoning me just so I'd stay safe? The JERK! I CAN'T BELIEVE HIM! _She snarled to herself, tossing her dress as soon as she had taken it off.

She put on some comfy shorts as well as a tank top and immediately buried her face in her pillow, feeling tears gather. _I don't know _why_ the hell I'm crying…He didn't…abandon me like he was going to…at least I know what happened if he mysteriously vanishes…_ Her eyes closed and she dozed off as her front door was opened below.

~O~

Inuyasha quickly turned off his car and flew out of it, curing himself. _Damn it! I should have heard Sango! _He quietly opened Kagome's front door and edged inside, wary. He did _not_ feel like getting purified because he'd pissed her off. He peered cautiously into her living room and flinched when he saw a hole in the wall from a thrown heel.

Not seeing her or smelling her downstairs, he carefully climbed the stairs and listened intently for her. He heard soft breathing from her room and quietly slipped in, golden eyes guilty. _Damn!_ She was out cold, unconscious as she slept. She looked innocent and helpless in her sleep, he determined, gently brushing some hair out of her face.

He lightly breathed in her scent, ears flattening. _What am I thinking…I'm an idiot. Okay, so Miroku was right…but she'll just have more of a chance at getting hurt while I'm here…damn it! Why does this have to be so damn difficult!_ He watched her for a moment, and then began to stroke her hair.

Kagome stirred, but didn't wake.

"Kagome?" he murmured, gently touching her cheek. "Hey!" He said loudly, poking her now.  
Kagome woke with a start, shooting upwards in surprise and almost crashing backwards into the wall. Then when the shock of being awoken in a loud manor faded, her gaze locked on Inuyasha and her face twisted into one of anger. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She yelled, looking around for something to throw at him. She wasn't usually a violent person, but when she got into a mood… She grabbed the only thing she could –a pillow – and chucked it at him.

Inuyasha yelped in surprise and ducked to avoid it, only to narrowly miss getting hit in the face by a book. "HEY! CALM DOWN!"

She ignored him and scrambled for her closet and shoe collection, starting to throw the shoes at him. "Get the hell away," she hissed, chucking a fairly nice heel at him. "Damn it! You…just…GO!" She shrieked.

Inuyasha jerked to the side to avoid the heel. "Damn it, woman!" He growled, shooting forwards and locking her wrists together with one of his hands. "You're gonna kill me with a damn shoe!"  
"Maybe that was what I was trying to do," she said coldly, her eyes bright with anger.

"Jeez!" Inuyasha snapped back, keeping a tight grip on her so she wouldn't attack him. "Let me explain!"  
"You already explained to Sango," Kagome snarled, struggling to get out of his grip so she could reach another shoe. "Now let…go!"  
"No!" Inuyasha growled, his golden eyes boring into her sky blue ones.

Kagome suddenly broke down, eyes filling with tears again. "Why would you leave us behind, Inuyasha? All Sango and I've done is tried to help you guys…" she whispered, trying to pull a hand away so she could scrub at her face furiously.

Inuyasha's gaze softened and he pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "You got hurt last night," he murmured, burying his face in her hair. "It was my fault. You could have gotten killed."

Kagome froze, her anger fading. Then it returned in a flash. "Damn it!" She hissed, struggling to pull away –though his inhuman strength wouldn't allow it. "You still tried to abandon us! Why the hell would you do that?"

Inuyasha inwardly groaned. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? Jeez! I just don't want you to get hurt again!"  
She glowered at him. "I don't care if I get hurt! I want to help! I'M NOT SOME HELPLESS GIRL, OKAY?" She began to yell again. Her irritation had sparked into fury.

"Calm down!" He growled, his own anger spiking. He allowed his claws to lightly prick her arms as a warning, struggling to keep control over his anger. Get too angry…he didn't even have Tetsusaiga. He hated the fact that his voice turned to pleading. "Please!"  
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "Why the hell should I? You were going to abandon us to 'keep us safe' and I heard you pause when Sango asked if you were looking for an excuse. Damn it! You were, weren't you!" her voice was hysterical. _I should've known better! All men are like this! Give 'em a few weeks and they reveal their true selves…damn idiots, all that damn crap! I give up! All men are cruel! They take advantage of you, destroy you! _

That was the last straw for Inuyasha's demon side. He struggled to keep himself but couldn't, and before he knew it, he was snarling, fangs growing and claws digging into Kagome's skin as they grew. He was barely aware of it when she cried out in pain.

Kagome flinched when his claws drew blood, struggling to jerk away. _What's wrong with him? _With a quick jerk backwards, she caught a glimpse of red and purple…_Oh hell! _She cursed.

Inuyasha's deep growl grew slightly when he felt her struggle to pull away.

**You're hurting her!**__ Some voice yelled inside his head. He ignored it and instead focused on the woman herself.

He remembered a small conversation between his brother and father…

_~Flashback~_

_A fairly bored Inuyasha eavesdropped quietly on their conversation, not having anything better to do. Sesshomaru had just met Rin a couple days ago, and Inuyasha was already seeing a change in his brother. He wasn't so cold hearted towards everyone anymore…he had actually complimented Inuyasha, scaring the hell out of him. _

_ "Are you serious?" His father suddenly growled, causing his attention on the conversation to sharpen. "You seriously wish for that? Have you even asked her permission? You barely know her, Sesshomaru!"  
Sesshomaru's cold tone came in reply. "I'm positive, Father. Rin is important. I know she's the right person for this…"_

_ "You do understand that demon bonds are life long?" His father sounded bewildered._

_ Inuyasha frowned, ears swiveling. _

_ "If you mark her, you'll never be aloud another chance with someone. You die, she dies. She dies, you die. Of course, her life span will be extended, but she is still vulnerable, Sesshomaru." Inutaisho growled deeply, voicing the words that would confirm his suspicions._

_ "Yes," Sesshomaru growled back. "I am confident. Rin feels the same way, I am sure."_

_ "We live in the Feudal Era, Sesshomaru," Inutaisho cautioned. "If you do this, demons will not hesitate to attack her to get you."_

_ "The demons will not know."_

_ Inuyasha frowned again. He had heard of 'marking'. You claimed the person you were marking as your soul mate. The mark never faded, and as said, if one mate died, so did the other. It bonded the two for however long they lived. Then he grinned. So Sesshomaru was planning on marking Rin…_

_ "They will eventually find out," Inutaisho argued, armor clinking. "That is why I did not mark Izayoi, though I love her. So that if I died, she would live. She does not know of marking, neither does your brother though he does know very little of it."_

_ "I will never allow someone to kill Rin," Sesshomaru snarled._

_ "Very well, you may do so," Inutaisho dismissed his son with a wave of the hand. "And Inuyasha, may you be warned if you decide to mark someone later on."_

_ Inuyasha jumped, wincing when he realized he had been found out. "Yeah, whatever."_

_~End of Flashback~_

The voice at the back of his head was snarling and trying to regain control. "Damn…"he growled hoarsely past his large fangs…which began to shrink as he regained control. He gently pushed Kagome away, flinching at the scent of her blood. He had to get away from her… Shaking his head to clear it, he stumbled towards her window, opened it, and leaped into the night.

**A/N: Okay, so it's a short chapter, but I wanted to end it there XD I loved Sango's little outburst…anyhow, thoughts? I think the fighting between Kagome and Inuyasha itself was a bit cheesy, but…anyhow, I want to explain something. Kagome's seriously pissed off because he didn't apparently believe in her abilities to help and wanted her to stay home and do nothing. Inuyasha's frustrated because nobody seems to care that he wants to protect Kagome. That's why they were yelling. XD Also, when Rin stood up with shaking hands –dies laughing – I was listening to Speak Now, by Taylor Swift. I laughed so hard I freaked my dog out at that part because that's what the song said. XD**


	15. Vanished

**A/N: I am now the temporary proud owner of a large computer. To celebrate I am writing :D Disclaimers!**

Sango, once again woken up by the phone, wanted to scream. It had been a couple hours since Inuyasha had rocketed out the door at full speed to -hopefully- apologize to Kagome, and everyone had gone to sleep -Sesshomaru excluded as he never slept. She picked up the phone and jerked it open with a snappish, "What the hell do you want! I'm trying to sleep!" Then she winced. "Sorry, Kags. What's wrong?"

"'tknowwhattodo!" Kagome exclaimed in a single breath, voice full of anguish and anxiety.

"Wow, calm down," Sango yawned, sitting up from the bed she was sharing with Shippo. "Slow down and tell me what happened."

Kagome took a breath to calm herself, then repeated slowly, "Inuyasha came over last night and I threw some stuff at him because I was mad -I didn't catch him or anything with anything- and then he went full demon." Kagome then gave a whimper. "Then he went back to normal and jumped out my window, and I can't find him now, San!" Sango groaned, already getting out of bed fully dressed. "Every damn time you two fight someone disappears off the face of the earth," She grumbled, then said, "Keep looking. I'll get Miroku and come help you, 'kay?" She hung up, sighed, then called, "Miroku! Wake up! Time to go do some Inuyasha Hunting!"

~O~

Kagome bit her nails anxiously as she grabbed her keys and phone, hurrying to her new car. She stared at it for a moment, scared for a slight moment as another vision of crashing into the tree flew through her mind. She quickly shook it off and climbed into her brand new Pathfinder. "I can't think of that now. I need to find Inuyasha!" She said, determined to not be scared of a car she had driven before.

She swiftly climbed in and turned on the engine. Before she knew it, she was sweeping down the street, looking for a flash of silver in the trees or on the ground.

A few moments later, she was scared to death by a large knock on the car window. She glanced to the side to see Sango and Miroku on Kirara, all three looking deathly tired. She slowed the car to a stop and they climbed in. "Any luck?" Miroku yawned.

Kagome shook her head, starting forward again. "No. He's gone."

"Don't worry, Kags," Sango reassured. "We'll find him. If what you say is true, he's probably just upset with himself for almost hurting you…did he already hurt you? In that case, I'll kill him when we find him…"

"No, no, its not his fault," Kagome said quickly. "I was hurt, but it was my own damn fault."

"Okay, let's think," Miroku said thoughtfully. "Tell me exactly what happened."

Kagome gave a swift but detailed explanation. "You know what he said, and after I hung up, I went to sleep. Then he came and I started throwing stuff at him. He tried to apologize but I wouldn't allow him, too. Then he went full demon. He didn't do anything, but when he did, he'd gone back to normal and jumped out the window… you don't think he hurt himself doing that, do you, Miroku?"

"No," Miroku reassured the worried woman. "Inuyasha's a half-demon, he's fine. He's stronger than any mortal or demon I know. A little fall wouldn't hurt him. As for where he is, let's try somewhere with lots of trees…"

~O~

As the four looked, a certain half-demon sat in the tree behind some random mortal's house, staring angrily at his claws. They had a slight amount of Kagome's blood on them from his tight grip on her. "Damn…" Inuyasha muttered, growling angrily. "I could have killed her…"

He glanced up as someone passed below him: the owner of the house. He froze, not moving when he saw the gun the person held. "Who's there!" The person called.

Inuyasha's lungs burned, seeking air, but he didn't dare breathe. _Damn! How do I get myself into problems like this?_

When the man huffed and went inside, Inuyasha sighed in relief and darted out of the tree.

~O~

After hours of endless searching, Kagome drove back to her house and silently went inside. Sango, Miroku, and Kirara came right after her. "Don't worry," Sango said soothingly, sitting beside her friend on the couch. "He's fine, trust me."

"I know Inuyasha," Miroku said confidently. "When we were kids, he got lost and turned up days later, hungry but uninjured. And that was before he had his Tetsusaiga!"

"He doesn't have the sword with him," Kagome said dully.

"He still has his claws." "And he'll come back when he's hungry," Sango said, trying to joke to cheer up her friend.

Kagome groaned and rested her head on her hands. "I ruin everything, damn it."

Sango huffed when Miroku declared, "You didn't ruin me! I still have my good looks for my dear Sango!" Then in a more serious tone, he said, "You'd be surprised, Kagome. After that incident with Kikyo, he was really messed up. Then you came along and patched everything back up." he gave a gentle smile to reassure her. "And even if he won't admit it out loud, he really does care a lot for you. He just has…a rougher way of showing it."

"Yeah, yeah. You guys can stay and sleep in the rooms if you want. I'm just going to sit down here for a while." Kagome said quietly.

Sango sighed. Her friend didn't show it, but she was obviously distressed. "He'll be okay, Kagome, trust me."

"It's not you I don't trust, Sango…" _…It's myself…_

~O~

Inuyasha cautiously peered into the supposedly empty house before edging into the kitchen. He just needed some food for a few days, and he would be gone, he had decided. That was how it usually was. He got upset over something, grabbed food from the kitchen, then disappeared for a few days. He could sometimes be gone for a month or two. Then he came back, acted like nothing was wrong, get forced into a half-hearted apology, be forgiven, and go back to normal.

Not this time.

The light switch flipped on and out stepped Shippo, rubbing his eyes warily. Inuyasha froze when the kid suddenly looked up at him. "Inuyasha, what are you doing here? Did you go apologize to Kagome? Is she okay? Where's Sango and Miroku and Kirara? Why are you still in your nice clothes? Why are you _here_?"

"I'm…going on a small trip," Inuyasha lied through gritted teeth. "I was just grabbing some snacks for the road. I'll be back in a few days Shippo."

"Oooh! Where ya going? Can I come?"

Inuyasha quickly shook his head. "No, I need to go speak with some…really dangerous people, okay? I don't want anyone to worry that I left, so don't tell no one, got it, runt?"

Shippo frowned. "Does Kagome know?" "No…but I don't want her to worry, so don't tell her you saw me, 'kay?"

Shippo sighed. "Okay, but you better bring me back a present for lying to Kagome. She's special so I don't like lying…" he started to go into a small rant and Inuyasha bit back a furious growl.

"I gotta go now," he interrupted. "See ya in a few days, runt!" Inuyasha called over his shoulder as he quickly darted out the door and into the outside. He climbed up a tree, stopping to expertly stash his food in his pockets before leaping into another tree.

_~A Week Later~_

Kagome bit her lip as she let herself into Sango's house. She felt bad for not coming over sooner, but she was worried for the half-demon -that still hadn't come back. "Sango!" She called, peeking curiously around a corner. "Shippo! Miroku!"

"Kagome!" Shippo exclaimed, throwing himself at Kagome.

Kagome almost toppled over in surprise. "Shippo!" She gasped. "You scared me! Don't ever do that again!"

Shippo gave a toothy grin. "Sorry! Did you bring anything? Where did you go? You're wearing my present! Oooh, did you know I'm going into a new school next week! Inuyasha said that a couple days ago when he stopped by for more food…so I won't get to be in your class! Sorry!"

Kagome went over his questions slowly then almost toppled over again after standing up. "What the hell do you mean 'came back for more food'; you saw him?"

Shippo's hand slapped over his mouth. "No!" "RIN!" Kagome roared, storming further into the house. "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!"

Rin appeared, looking confused. "What's wrong, Kagome?"

Kagome pointed childishly at Shippo. "The kid saw Inuyasha!" She exclaimed.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Shippo…?" She said slowly. "You saw…Inuyasha?" She turned to face Shippo, whose face was tilted downwards.

"No…I was dreaming I saw him…" Shippo said, carefully making up an excuse. Truthfully…

_~Flashback~_

_Shippo had woken up to something quietly moving around in the other room. He cautiously crawled out of his small, make shift bed and peered out. Seeing nobody, he started to the kitchen. Upon reaching it, he looked around the corner…and saw Inuyasha, digging through the pantry. "Inuyasha, you're back!" Shippo cried -quite loudly- and flung himself at the half-demon. _

_Inuyasha cursed wildly in surprise, struggling to push the kid off of him. "Not for very long! I have to…go on another trip!"_

_Shippo frowned. "Inuyasha, you're not supposed to be there, are you. You're supposed to stay here…where are you going anyways?"_

"_Shut it, runt!" Inuyasha snapped, growling. "I'm not supposed to miss these people's meeting date, or I'll be…kicked out of the little…group I'm in."_

"_What group?"_

"_Just go back to sleep!" Inuyasha growled, starting for the front door again._

"_But Inuyasha…" Shippo whined, clinging to his pant leg. "Can I come with? Please? I'll tell if you don't let me!" "Shippo…if you stay I'll bring you something." _

"_Deal!"_

"_By the way, runt, you do realize you've graduated to first grade, so you're going to a different class this school year, right?" Shippo's eyes bugged out. "I AM? I WANT TO STAY WITH KAG-OOF!" He was cut off as Inuyasha slapped his clawed hand over Shippo's mouth._

_~End of (Strange) Flashback~_

"It was a dream," Shippo mumbled again.

Kagome almost wilted like a flower. "I hope he's okay…" she mumbled quietly, then stood up straight and said, "Where's Sango? I need to tell her something…"

"She's in the other room, Kagome," Rin said cheerfully, leading the way to the dining room. "We were just cleaning up dinner when you got here. Hey! Sango!"

"Huh? Kags!" Sango's confused expression cleared instantly and she hurried over, embracing the woman tightly. "Jeez, were you moping! We were waiting for you to come over."

"Sorry, San," Kagome laughed, patting her friend's head playfully. "I was getting things ready for school again next week…I'm thinking of maybe getting a better job with higher pay, you know. I can't rely on other people and I've learned I'm getting less salary then last year…" Sango puffed up furiously. "Hell no! You're gonna get more than last year, even if I have to bash a few heads in!"

"It's fine," Kagome rolled her eyes and waved it off. "Maybe I could start up a writing career or something, no? I love writing…"

"You're very good at it," her friend agreed.

"Writing it is!" Kagome announced, laughing. "I might have to go back to school for it though…" she said thoughtfully. "Oh well. College isn't that bad…"

"Um, Kagome? How are you going to pay for it?" Sango teased, poking her.

Kagome grinned and flicked Sango's arm. "You'll help me of course."

"Nope."

"But, Sango…"

"Okay, okay," Sango laughed, patting her friend's head. "I'll help, but you'll owe me!"

~O~

A few more days passed and Kagome returned to her job of teaching small _youkai, hanyou_, and mortal children. By the end of the first day, she was exhausted. "Sango!" She complained into her cell phone. "I had to separate five damn fights today. FIVE! Damn kids were really aggravated today."

Sango giggled on the other line. "It'll get better. You know it will. And guess what!"

"What?"

"The miasma at Takahashi Mansion has _finally_ gone away, so Rin, Sesshomaru, and Shippo are moving back into it. Miroku wants to stay, but Rin's dragging him along, too." Sango announced happily. "No more crowded house!"

"Any sign of him…?" Kagome asked softly, crossing her finger's hopefully.

"No, sorry, Kags. He'll show up though. Miroku says he goes off for months sometimes when he's pissed off or irritated." Sango said soothingly.

"I know, he's told me," Kagome sighed, biting her lip. "I just hope he's okay. It's my fault."

"Kagome, we've been through this before, damn it! IT'S. NOT. YOUR. FAULT!" Sango snapped impatiently into the phone. She loved her friend to death. She was almost her sister. But Kagome could annoy Sango at the worst of times. "Now, how's that writing thing going."

"I can't leave the teaching world. The kid's are too cute."

"Kagome…" Sango groaned, wanting to slam her face into the table. "Damn you and your weakness for cute kids! You're gonna die of starvation 'cause you're not getting paid enough!"

"You wouldn't let that happen…" Kagome grinned with a laugh.

"No, you're right. I wouldn't. So are you gonna come over and take them back to Takahashi Mansion with me, Kags?" Sango asked, smiling because she knew her friend was going to.

"Yeah, I'm on my way. I'm gonna walk because I need more exorcise," Kagome joked, standing up and reaching for her jacket. "See ya in a few minutes!" She hung up and opened up her front door, shivering at the fall chill. She closed and locked her front door behind her, then started up the street on foot, thinking.

Too busy thinking, she didn't notice the shape following behind her.

~O~

Silver hair floating in the slight breeze, Inuyasha relaxed in a tree comfortably. He had somehow managed to sneak some regular clothes from the Mansion after learning the miasma was gone, wincing when he saw what looked like melted piles. He supposed some new hired maids had cleaned up by now. His ears lazily swiveled around, focusing on the smallest sounds.

Her scent hit his nose.

Inuyasha's upper half shot from the trunk he was resting against and looked down from his tree. "Damn it!" He hissed to himself, watching as Kagome passed below his tree. "Why is she walking?"

Movement behind her caught his attention. He peered down at it and fought down the growl building up in his throat. A measly demon was following behind her, and she didn't seem to have noticed. It was a simple weasel demon, nothing important, but Kagome didn't exactly know how to fight with _just_ her spiritual powers. She had to usually use some kind of weapon…and she had the Sacred Jewel shard.

Inuyasha silently watched, thinking quickly. He hadn't planned on coming back for another few weeks, so if he attacked the demon he would probably be captured by Kagome earlier than he had planned. But if he didn't…she could be killed by a weak, pathetic demon.

He was distracted when the demon suddenly reared up behind her with a loud snarl. Kagome whipped around with a squeak of surprise and Inuyasha's mind made its decision.

~O~

Kagome was thinking silently to herself when the snarl behind her caused her to whip around with a squeak of surprise. _What the- where the hell did that come from? _She cursed herself silently when she remembered the Shikon Jewel shard in her pocket. She flung an arm out when the weasel demon raised a paw to attack.

And then there was an ear-splitting screech. Kagome's shut eyes cracked open to see the demon struggling against a very pissed off Inuyasha. Inuyasha snarled many profanities at the demon as he sliced at it with his claws. With a quick movement, he leaped to avoid the weasel's strangely fast claw and landed lightly in front of Kagome, eyes flickering over the demon.

Kagome almost flung herself at Inuyasha, but quickly remembered the demon. The reunion would occur later -where she could also yell at him for making her worry. A pulse ran through her suddenly and she found her mind focusing on the throat of the demon…_A Jewel shard!_ _No, wait! Three shards!_

"Throat," She gasped out loud, "go for the throat!"

Inuyasha nodded quickly and growled before flinging himself at the demon again, struggling to get his claws into its throat.

The weasel shrieked an ear-splitting shriek again and threw the half-demon away with an incredible speed. Inuyasha yelped as he hit the ground with a sharp _crack!_ He scrambled to his feet again, struggling to catch his breath, and leaped back into the fight, raking his claws quickly against its neck, only managing to skim its throat. But a small rock fell out. _I get it now!_ he smirked. "You're a weak demon using Jewel shards, huh?" The weasel snarled and raked the air Inuyasha had been in with its claws angrily.

While it was distracted, Kagome shot under it and grabbed the shard, purifying it instantly. She briefly smiled, then felt arms wrap around her and jerk her away as the paws of the demon slammed down where she had been. She glanced up, expecting to see Inuyasha, but found Sango on Kirara. "Sango!" She cried, scrambling up onto Kirara behind her.

"You took too long," Sango explained with a grin. "And I brought Hiraikotsu." "Aim for the throat!" Kagome told her, looking around wildly for Inuyasha as she spoke. The said half-demon was scrambling to his feet after getting thrown to the pavement again. There were cracks in the pavement where he had been thrown.

Inuyasha snarled and threw himself at the demon once again.

Kirara let Kagome off when she asked before shooting up into the air again with a roar. Kagome could see Miroku, ready to use his Wind Tunnel, and Sesshomaru standing protectively in front of Rin and Shippo, eyes narrowed. "Remember, Sango!" Kagome called after her. "The throat!"

"Got it!" Sango yelled back, using one arm to prepare and throw her massive weapon. She threw it.

Her aim was dead on and it wouldn't have missed…if it hadn't been for the demon's speed thanks to the Jewel shards. The demon barely managed to dodge it and swung a paw at Sango and Kirara.

Kirara managed to avoid the paw and landed beside Miroku.

Inuyasha leaped for the demon again, growling loudly. He ignored the pain as a claw left a large gash in his forearm and lashed out again, managing to get the demon to drop another Jewel shard. Kagome darted after it.

Kagome swiftly reached it and scooped it up, then looked up in surprise as there was a yell. Her eyes widened with shock as the paw slammed down.

Inuyasha watched in a mixture of horror and terror. His body gave a sudden pulse, almost forcing him to the ground. When he looked up again, his eyes were a gleaming red.

**A/N: Okay, so slightly shorter than normal. Thoughts? **


	16. Reunited

**A/N: Anybody else ever heard of the Holy Pearl? It's loosely based off of Inuyasha and I love it ^_^ Anyhow, disclaimers, thanks to reviewers, etc.!**

Inuyasha snarled, eyes gleaming red. _Damn it! What's going on? _He frantically snapped in his mind, struggling to control himself. His gaze locked on the demon and he growled again before darting forwards with a raised hand, claws gleaming.

Sango saw a blur pass her and gasped in surprise as she almost toppled over. Miroku caught her and groaned. "Damn! He's demon again! Where the hell is Sesshomaru when you need him?"

"Kagome!" Sango cried, realizing her friend was nowhere to be found. "Kagome! Where are you?"

Miroku opened up the Wind Tunnel for a moment, and then closed it. "I don't want to suck up Kagome." he explained to Sango. _Or if she's not alive, what's left of her…_

Inuyasha growled again and lunged, darting to the side to avoid a paw swipe. Meanwhile…

Kagome gasped for breath, the said breath having had whooshed out of her in surprise when the demon's paw slammed down inches from her face. She was kneeling, hidden by the large leg, hand tightly clutching the Jewel Shards. She could hear her friend's calling for her desperately, but couldn't find the air to reply.

Wheezing, she climbed to her feet and focused all of her spiritual energy into her hands. A large amount of pink glow appeared, and the air began to crackle around her. She carefully put her hand against the weasel's leg - it shrieked an ear piercing scream - and with a great amount of energy, forced the spiritual power into it.

Almost immediately the weasel shrieked again and disappeared in a swirl of dark energy, leaving the last Jewel Shard behind. The swirl of energy sent her flying into some shrubbery.

Inuyasha's chest heaved as he gasped for breath, the red bleeding out of his eyes. "What…the hell…was _that_?" He asked breathlessly. Then he jerked his head up and his eyes began darting around. "Kagome!"

Sango rushed over, her brown doe eyes almost glazed over. "I can't find her! She's gone!"

"She's not dead," Inuyasha said stubbornly. _Where is she! She has to be okay…she can't be…she's not…_

"Here!"

Kagome stumbled out of the shrubbery, eyes wide with shock. "I'm right here." She repeated. Then she threw herself at Inuyasha, ignoring his bloody arm. She pressed her face into his chest, hands fisting in his shirt. "What the hell is wrong with you! You had us all worried sick!"

"Err, I…" Inuyasha stammered, his arms automatically wrapping around her. _She's okay…_ He breathed in her scent, calming himself.

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Around…?" Inuyasha said hesitantly, ears swiveling still. His grip tightened slightly on Kagome, and he said, "Any sign of Naraku?"

Sango looked ready to throw Hiraikotsu. "You have to be kidding me!" She snapped. "You vanish for two weeks, then pop up out of the blue and act like nothing's wrong? You bastard! You need to apologize to Kagome right now!"

Inuyasha blinked in surprise. "Keh!" he snorted. "I did nothing wrong!"

Kagome allowed her purifying powers to cackle around her slightly, stinging Inuyasha.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry. Jeez." Inuyasha muttered with a growl.

Kagome smiled brightly up at him, and his golden eyes softened slightly. He dipped his head down and gently pressed his lips against hers in a sweet, chaste kiss.

~O~

Later, Kagome sat with Inuyasha on the couch in her living room. She gave a mental dry laugh. Things changed quickly.

Inuyasha, whose head was in her lap again as she was rubbing his ears, glanced up at her, golden eyes curious. "What's with that smile?" "Nothing," she replied, fingering his ears some more with a smile. "So where were you?"

"Around."

"Around?"

"Yeah."

"Where did you stay?" Kagome asked cautiously, gently tugging on an ear. Inuyasha gave a soft growl in response to the tug and she giggled.

Inuyasha fought back his own grin when she laughed. If he grinned, he knew he would look stupid. "Nowhere. I stayed in a couple trees if that counts for anything. Why?"

"No reason."

"Keh! You were worried I was staying with some other woman, weren't you!" "No."

"Liar! You're scent reeks of jealousy, Kagome," Inuyasha said smugly, golden eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Shut up," Kagome muttered, giving his hear a sharp tug. When he winced she gently rubbed it apologetically, smiling at the soft silkiness of it. She smiled slightly. Even though she was fairly pissed off that he had abandoned her for a few weeks, she was glad he was back. "So are you going back to the Mansion with your family?"

"I don't know," Inuyasha replied, raising an eyebrow. "Depends."

"On what?" Kagome asked.

"On if you'll let me stay here or not."

Kagome bit her lip thoughtfully, chewing on it. "I don't know, Inuyasha…"

"Oh come on!" Inuyasha snorted, sitting up. Kagome protested but he ignored her complaints. "I'm not gonna try anything. And I can protect you and the shards better if I'm here!"

"Okay, okay, don't freak out. You can stay," Kagome said, rolling her eyes and leaning back against the couch. "Do you know how Miroku and Sango are doing in there relationship so far?" She questioned to change the subject.

Inuyasha snorted at her subject choice. "I have to admit, Miroku hasn't womanized once since he met Sango. It's surprising. That damn lecher flirts with any girl he sees…or he used to."

"Interesting." Kagome tapped her chin with her finger as Inuyasha drew her closer, kissing the top of her head like a child. She smiled. "I hope he marry's Sango. Sango needs someone." She said, more to herself than to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "You gonna play matchmaker or something?"

"Of course!" Kagome smiled brightly, and then shuddered when she felt Inuyasha's breath tickle her ear.

Inuyasha smirked and gently kissed her cheek. He wrapped his arms around Kagome and pulled her into his lap - causing her to burst into a furious red blush. "Inuyasha, let go!" She demanded, squirming. Inuyasha tightened his grip.

"No way." he said smugly, breathing in her scent.

Kagome glowered at him for a moment, and then twisted in his lap to kiss him gently. With a smirk, Inuyasha deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his own. Her arms slid around his neck and locked, while his hands tangled in her hair, him being careful of his claws.

Then he broke away as soon as he felt his demon rising once again. Kagome gasped for breath and Inuyasha smiled slightly, burying his face in her hair.

_Kagome…is mine._

~O~

Sango bit her lip as she watched Rin climb into the limo after Shippo and Sesshomaru, being left alone with Miroku. She was going to be alone again…okay, so it had been a crazy few months, but…she would miss everyone. "Miroku, you don't have to leave…" she mumbled to herself.

Miroku smiled slightly, and gave a tight embrace. "I'll come see you everyday, 'kay? I wonder if Inuyasha's coming back with us…"

Sango laughed and waved off his statement. "Knowing him, he'll stalk Kagome if she doesn't let him stay. Now go before Sesshomaru drags you to the car." She smiled at him.

Miroku grinned and leaned into to kiss her for a moment, then slipped towards the limo.

Sango watched sadly. Now she would be completely alone.

~O~

_~Few Days Later~_

Inuyasha grumbled to himself as he waited with Miroku for his girlfriend to come downstairs. "Damn, she's slow. Poor Sango's probably wondering if we were killed on our way over or something."

"You know, I'm kind of hurt that the higher up people aren't bothered that at least one of us are killed a day by some kind of demon," Miroku said thoughtfully.

"You would be," Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes. Then he said, "Finally!" as Kagome came down the stairs in a red dress and black heels…the same dress she had received for her birthday. Inuyasha grinned. "Do you not know how to put a damn dress on? You took forever!"

"Sorry," Kagome replied, rolling her eyes. "I couldn't find a heel…then I found it just outside my window hanging on a branch. How the hell did it get in a tree?"

"Very good question, Kagome, perhaps our half-demon friend knows…?" Miroku shot a grin at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha growled. "The damn shoe was annoying me so I threw it out the window. Happy?"

Kagome burst out laughing. "How the hell does a shoe bother you?" She giggled, covering her mouth and trying to stifle the giggles. "Never mind, I don't want to know. Let's…let's go get Sango." She choked out.

They all climbed into the limo, Inuyasha sitting with Kagome and Miroku sitting across from them by himself with a furrowed brow. "I wonder…" he mumbled.

Inuyasha caught his words. "What?"

"Where do you think Naraku's gone off to, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha felt a growl build up in his throat at the thought of him. "I don't know. We're going to track him down tomorrow though and kill him."

Miroku grinned. "Works for me…what the hell?" He threw the door open and flew out of it when he saw Sango's house…bright and lit up with flames of fire that roared. "Damn it! Sango!"

Kagome gasped and scrambled over Inuyasha after Miroku, horrified. "No, no, no!" She cried. "Sango!"

Inuyasha carefully wrapped his arms around Kagome for a quick moment. "Stay here." he murmured in her ear, then darted towards the flames. _Damn it! Naraku's scent is everywhere!_

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?II" Kagome shrieked, slapping her hand to her face.

"Getting the woman!" Inuyasha called over his shoulder, and then darted through the door, ignoring the stench of smoke and the searing heat of flames. "Yo! Sango are you in here?" His brow furrowed as he heard nothing. He hurried around a corner, careful of the flames…and almost tripped over an unconscious Kirara. He scooped up the cat and scrambled up the stairs, searching wildly. Something was wrong. It wasn't just the fire, but the fact that Kirara was out cold. It wasn't the fire, as the cat demon herself wasn't bothered it. That means someone had deliberately started the fire. "Sango!" He yelled again, and then leaped aside to avoid a falling piece of burning timber. A puddle of red caught his attention but was covered by another piece of burning wood.

Sango wasn't in the house.

Using the Hiraikotsu he had rescued, he easily broke a window and leaped out into the front yard, immediately being smothered by Kagome who asked frantic questions. He breathed heavily, relieved to smell fresh air -and Kagome. "She's not there. And she's not outside." he said, interrupting the worrying Kagome. "I think she left before it started…" _Or…she was kidnapped? _

"Then she's okay?" Kagome sounded relieved and Miroku's anxious face relaxed slightly.

"I don't know." Inuyasha replied with a shake of his head. "The area reeks of Naraku and I…I think I saw some blood before the house started falling apart. Kirara here was unconscious, too." He added, handing over the feline.

Miroku's face paled. "Sango…" his gaze locked on the ground for a moment. When he raised his eyes, they were furious enough to make Kagome squeak and hide behind Inuyasha. "Screw the date, we're tracking that damn bastard down and finding my woman."

~O~

Sango groaned and opened her eyes, immediately putting her hand to her head where it ached worst. When she pulled it away, it was covered in red. _Great…just great. Don't tell me I have a concussion…where the hell am I anyway?_ "Kirara?" She called hesitantly. "Miroku? Kags?"

Nothing.

She stood and allowed her brown eyes to wonder around.

_~Flashback~_

_Sango put her other earring in with a small smile. Miroku had kept his promise about coming over every day. And he stayed from dawn to dusk, even if Sango was at work the whole time. She was glad. Knowing she was alone in the house at night was bad enough._

_Now she was going on a double date with Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kagome. She grinned. It was amusing to see Inuyasha bicker with Kagome. He would argue and pretend to be angry, but his eyes were always full of love and affection for the young woman, while Kagome's were full of happiness and pride. They were a good couple. _

_Sango sang along to a song that came on the radio as she began putting on make up._

"If I die young, bury me in satin. Lay me down on a bed of roses." _she murmured. _"Send me away with the words of a love song."

Crash!

_Sango glanced over her shoulder. Loud sounds were normal in her house with Kirara running around. "Kirara, did you knock something over?"_

_Kirara came scrambling into her room, fur on end. She transformed and snarled at the door as two shapes stepped in. _

_Sango instinctively reached for Hiraikotsu as she found a woman with a spiky bun, feathers poking out of it, with a simple T-Shirt and jeans. The little girl was so pale, she was almost completely white. She wore a white dress. Both were barefoot…and obviously demons. "What the hell are you doing here? Get out of my house!" Sango snapped._

_The woman sighed. "Go ahead, Kanna. Suck her soul like Naraku said so we can get back. I'm already tired of this place."_

'_Kanna' held up a mirror that she held, it glowing white. _

_Kirara darted in front of Sango -but it didn't help. Before she knew it, Kirara had been thrown across the room and Sango was on the ground, clutching her head. _

_Then she blacked out._

_~End of Flashback~_

"That's right! That girl…sucked out my soul?" Sango rubbed the back of her head, and then winced when she brushed her head wound. "Why the hell am I here…she said Naraku! Oh hell!"

"Huh. So you know of Naraku already…"

Sango whipped around to find the woman from before. She narrowed her eyes, examining the woman carefully. She looked like the woman that Kagome had described, the one that had caused her accident… "You!" She cried. "You're the one that almost got Kagome killed!"

"I have a name," the woman snorted. "It's Kagura. Anyhow, as much as I despise Naraku, I must follow his orders. And his orders is to let Kanna suck your soul out again…it seems she forgot to empty it last time we used it…Then we'll let you kill your friends." She grinned, crimson eyes sparkling.

Sango glowered at her, trying her best to give a growl. "Like hell I would. You think you're strong enough to make me kill _Sesshomaru_ and _Inuyasha_? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Oh, no, we just need you to get close to Kagome and take her. Then we suck her soul out and she kills Inuyasha while you kill that guy of yours. As for Sesshomaru, Naraku will take care of him personally, which will leave the fox and his mate out in the open." Kagura replied. "Basically, you will be the cause. I don't even know why I'm telling you this. Now…Kanna?"

Kanna appeared, her mirror raised. It glowed for a moment, and then Sango blacked out.

~O~

"Oi! Miroku, calm down! You're gonna break her damn computer!" Inuyasha demanded as Miroku typed furiously on Kagome's laptop.

"Its okay, Inuyasha," Kagome said softly. _Not really. I barely had enough to get that one to begin with…_ "He's just worried about Sango. I am, too. Let him look up whatever he needs to look up. You and I can go talk to Sesshomaru, okay?" She looped her arm through his and gently began leading him towards the door.

"Hurry back!" Miroku called without looking up.

Inuyasha growled and removed his arm to wrap it around her waist. "Are you okay?"

Kagome smiled and let her spiritual powers cackle around her. "I will be when I get my hands on that bastard that took Sango."

Inuyasha couldn't help it. He chuckled.

~O~

About halfway there, Inuyasha slammed on the breaks. "What's wrong?" Kagome demanded, prodding his arm curiously.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Stay here," he told her, leaning over to quickly kiss her temple before unbuckling his seatbelt and climbing out of the car. He was sure of the scent. "Yo! Are you out here, Sango?" he called cautiously.

And the said woman appeared. "I…Inuyasha…" she stammered, stumbling over a rock. She lost her balance for a moment, and then caught it again.

Kagome was out of the car in an instant. "Sango!" she cried, throwing herself towards the woman.

But Inuyasha caught her by the wrist and pulled her away from her friend. _Something's wrong…what the hell is she doing out here? For one, this is Takahashi Property, and two, we're ages away from the Mansion._ He growled slightly at Sango. "What the hell are you doing way out here, Sango?" Sango's expression became confused. "I don't know. I woke up out here."

Inuyasha's grip on Kagome's wrist tightened as she struggled to pull away. "Let go, Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped. "It's Sango! She's hurt!"

"No," he growled, tugging her closer. "Something's not right, Kagome."

"What do you mean something's not right? My best friend's _hurt_!" Kagome snapped, pulling against his grip.

"Come now, Inuyasha, let the girl go to her friend."

Kagome's head whipped around with a jerk and she immediately pressed against Inuyasha. "You!"

The woman smirked. "I failed Naraku when I didn't succeed in destroying you, but he is quite happy that I did, as he has plans. Kanna…?"

"The mirror will not accept all of her soul," Kanna's small voice echoed in their heads. "The slayer's soul must be released, as the rest of the souls must."

"Well, release them." Kagura flicked open a fan.

All hell broke loose.

**A/N: Once again, a shorter chapter, but thoughts? **


	17. Kanna's Mirror Possesses Kagome

**A/N: Okay, so disclaimers, thanks to reviewers, etc.! Now, shall we see 'all hell break loose'? :D **

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

"_The mirror will not accept all of her soul," Kanna's small voice echoed in their heads. "The slayer's soul must be released, as the rest of the souls must."_

_"Well, release them." Kagura flicked open a fan._

_All hell broke loose._

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

Kanna raised her mirror as Sango collapsed. The mirror glowed brightly, releasing many, many souls into the air. A ball of light flew into Sango, who began coughing and gasping for breath.

At the same time, Kagura flicked her fan and sent a series of blade-like energy slices at Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha immediately stepped in front of Kagome, snarling, and unsheathed the ever-hidden Tetsusaiga. He quickly stabbed the large fang into the ground to keep the blades from hitting them. As soon as they stopped hitting the sword, he pulled it from the ground, raised it, and hit the ground with it, yelling, _"WIND SCAR!"_ A huge amount of energy soared towards Kagura and Kanna.

Kanna merely side stepped the attack, her mirror still glowing. Kagura removed a feather from her bun and appeared moments later in the air, floating on it. She flicked her fan again, attacking with her "Dance of Blades".

"The mirror is empty," Kanna suddenly said, her voice echoing around their heads again.

Inuyasha growled. "Stay away from Kagome!" To Kagome, he growled, "Get Sango in the car and stay in there!"

"Then suck her soul, Kanna," Kagura snapped in annoyance.

Kanna gave a small nod and raised her mirror higher. It glowed brighter than before, reflecting Kagome's image in it. Inuyasha burst out growling as the same blue light that had returned to Sango began draining out of Kagome.

Kagome gasped in surprise and felt her legs fold out from under her.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried, dropping to his knees beside her, one hand still gripping his sword. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Kanna," Kagura hissed. "Can't you go any faster? Naraku expects us back in about two hours with a dead Inuyasha and a soulless Kagome!"

"Her soul is large," Kanna whispered, raising her mirror a little higher. "The mirror may not be able to hold it all."

"Well make it hold it!" Kagura snapped, flicking her fan again at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha snarled and leaped into the air at Kagura, eyes gleaming furiously. "Leave…her…_alone_!" He yelled, swiping his massive sword through Kagura. Her eyes went wide in shock for a moment and then she disappeared with a blast of wind. Her fan dropped to the ground. Inuyasha turned on Kanna. "You're tu-"

He was cut off as something sliced through his shoulder. Stumbling forward slightly, he turned to look over his shoulder.

Standing behind him was none other than Kagome, her eyes blank, and she was holding Kagura's fan, still glowing pink from her spiritual powers. "K…Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered, his eyes going wide.

Kagome flicked her wrist, sending multiple needles like energies at her boyfriend.

Inuyasha used his sword to block most of them, but some of them but his arms, cheeks, and face in general. "Kagome!" he growled, lunging forward and snatching her wrist in his hand before she could attack again.

Kagome's face frowned and with a sudden breath, Kagome sent her powers through her hand and onto Inuyasha.

Inuyasha yelped in surprise and pain and flew back a few feet, hitting the ground on his back with a large _thud!_

By now, Sango had regained consciousness…just in time to see Inuyasha fly backwards. "Inuyasha!" She cried, scrambling to her feet. She saw Kagome raise the fan that used to belong to Kagura. "Kagome!"

Kagome's gaze flickered slightly before turning back into blankness. Without a word, she flicked her wrist. The spiritual energy flew towards her, and Sango cried out in pain as multiple needles stabbed into her. She dropped to the ground.

Inuyasha heaved himself up and found Kagome towering over him, eyes blank and emotionless. "Kagome…" He murmured, scrambling up so that his nose was brushing against hers. But then he jerked away in pain as she once again flicked her wrist, releasing her spiritual energy at him.

Kagome suddenly gasped, dropping the fan. Her hands flew up to clutch her head and her chest heaved for breath.

Kanna frowned, lowering her mirror to look at it. "The soul…it's trying to escape…" she whispered, watching as some of the soul began to leak out.

Inuyasha struggled to get up again, but slumped down, a small trickle of blood coming from his mouth.

"Inu…yasha…" Kagome whispered brokenly, struggling to move towards him. She took one step, and then dropped to her knees, still clutching her throbbing head. Then she reached for the fan and stood as a car skidded to a halt a ways away, her eyes going back to blankness.

Miroku stepped out of the car, his eyes surprised. Then they darkened. "Kagome…what's going on?" He called when he saw Kagome standing beside two bodies -Inuyasha and Sango. She was holding a fan that glowed. Behind her was a pale girl, holding a glowing mirror-which seemed to have light spilling from it.

Kagome turned to face him, raising her fan. She waved it and a whirlwind of spiritual power flew towards Miroku, throwing him backwards.

Miroku felt the breath leave him and he sat up quickly, reaching for his phone. He speed dialed Rin's number, gasping, "Send…Sessh… down…street." he gasped into the phone, then tossed it aside, wincing when it cracked against the pavement that made up the road.

_Kagome's possessed,_ he confirmed with narrowed eyes. _Probably because of that child…if we can get rid of her, Kagome will be okay…_ he darted forwards, narrowly avoiding a large swipe of the fan. "Kagome, listen!" He hissed, ripping the fan from her hand. He did the only thing he could think of: "Kagome, Inuyasha's dead!"

Kagome gave a pulse and jerked away, eyes gaining emotion again. "Inu…Inuyasha!" She gasped, stumbling backwards and away from Miroku.

Miroku narrowed his eyes. _We have to use that as her weakness…_ he decided as yet another car screeched to a halt and Sesshomaru appeared. "She's possessed!" He called over his shoulder. "Go for the child!"

Sesshomaru gave a curt nod and shot forwards.

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

Two hours later found Sango up and once again trying to help, Sesshomaru bleeding from a nasty cut on his arm, Miroku unconscious, Inuyasha struggling to continue fighting, Kagome with the fan in her hand again, and Kanna unharmed, but struggling to keep the soul within her mirror. "The soul…" She whispered. "It wants to…escape…"

Inuyasha growled as a dark energy began to swirl near Kanna. At first it was invisible, but it darkened until it was a tornado of miasma. When the miasma was dispelled, Naraku was beside Kanna, looking thoughtful.

"Naraku!" Inuyasha snarled, raising Tetsusaiga again. Sesshomaru raised his own sword, Bakusaiga, while Sango fisted her hands. Kagome's eyes flickered curiously over to Naraku.

"Kukuku," Naraku chuckled, an amused smirk planting itself on his face. "I see that not one of you can defeat a mere child…"

"Naraku!" Inuyasha snarled, immediately throwing a Wind Scar at the said demon. "So you _were_ behind this!" He paused to spit blood onto the ground. "Put Kagome back to normal!"

Naraku tapped his chin thoughtfully, obviously toying with them. "Let me think…I could, perhaps, keep Kagome as a mindless slave like this. She is quite powerful, is she not? But we do need the mirror's room for another soul…Kanna, release it."

Kanna nodded and raised the mirror again. Almost immediately, a large amount of blue light poured out, streaking for Kagome. It hit her, and her eyes blinked slowly.

"Kanna, we take our leave," Naraku shot a final smirk at the group of injured fighters. "Oh, and good job on destroying Kagura." Then he and Kanna vanished in a whirl wind of miasma.

Kagome staggered slightly, and then went to her boyfriend's side, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Inu…yasha…" She whispered. When she reached him, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly -though she was careful of his wounds. "I'm sorry…I'm so, so sorry…" Inuyasha's arms instinctively went around her as he continued to glower at the spot Naraku had been in. He let out a deep growl as the area went completely silent.

And then Sesshomaru sheathed his sword. Inuyasha copied, and Kagome flinched away in surprise, terrified that Inuyasha was going to suddenly turn on her. Sango hurried to Miroku's side and heaved him to his feet. "Miroku, are you okay?" She asked him, quite loudly, and gently nudged him with her free hand.

Miroku stirred…and groped her. There was a loud slap and Miroku laughed nervously, rubbing the side of his now red cheek.

Kagome couldn't help it. She broke into a fit of giggles.

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

"You okay, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked anxiously as she led the way into her house, biting her lip nervously. She jumped when he spoke; still scared he was going to turn on her for trying to kill everyone.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He snapped. "You jump every time I so much as look at you!"

Kagome hesitated, and then said, "I'm sorry I tried to kill you all. I don't deserve to be near any of you…"

Inuyasha snorted as he plopped down on the couch. "_That's_ what's going on with you? Damn it, Kagome, it's not your fucking fault. You were possessed. That's it. Now get the hell over it and can you help me dress these wounds?"

Kagome nodded, hiding her smile. As soon as Inuyasha took his shirt off, however, it faded.

All of him was covered in hundreds of scratches, all oozing blood. Inuyasha winced as Kagome hesitantly touched his back. "Inuyasha…"

"Just help me clean them, would you?" He snapped impatiently. He truthfully didn't blame her, but he hurt like hell and wanted to sleep. And he couldn't sleep until his wounds had been cleaned.

Kagome nodded and quickly found the first aid kit. She began rinsing and patching up the wounds, chewing on her lip nervously every time he winced. When she had finally finished, Inuyasha plopped backwards on the couch. Kagome set the first aid kit aside, preparing to get up and leave, but he just tugged her over to him, wrapping his arms around her. She was safe. That was all that mattered to him.

Kagome relaxed against him, slid her eyes shut, and fell into a large slumber.

**A/N: I cannot express my disappointment in this chapter, but I'm about to pass out in exhaustion, so I'll probably go back and edit this later… I'm sorry it's short, too Please, please, please forgive me. Okay, I'm gonna go sleep now. Night!**


	18. Water Guns

**A/N: Hello again :D Nice to see you all. Well…I sound formal now, so ignore me and go read the story! XD Disclaimers!**

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

The next few days went by in a fast blur. Apparently, news of the miasma that had killed Izayoi and Kohaku, as well as all the maids and other residents of the Takahashi Mansion, had spread and everywhere Kagome went, someone popped up to ask a question. Like right now, for example.

She had simply been on her way to where Inuyasha was waiting out front with his car as he usually did, with Shippo in tow. The _kitsune_ liked to come with his cousin to pick up Kagome from work.

Anyways, as said, she had been on her way to his car, when a mortal -one she didn't know- cornered her and began asking furiously what she had done to Izayoi. Kagome guessed that the woman before her -who actually looked to be just a little bit part demon- had been friends with the said woman or something. "What did you do to her?" The woman snarled.

_Yeah, she's part demon._ Kagome decided, flinching away in surprise. "Wh…what do you mean?"

"You caused Izayoi's death!" She said hotly. She bared her teeth, revealing fangs.

_Scratch that, she's full demon._ "I didn't do anything!" Kagome snapped back, digging for her powers. They hadn't completely restored since the battle a few days ago, so they weren't as strong as they usually were. "Now, if you could please excuse me, I must go find my boyfriend…"

"Yo! Kagome!"

Kagome sighed in relief. Truthfully, the 'whatever-you-want-to-call-her' woman was scaring her half to death. "Over here, Inuyasha!" I called back, noticing with a smirk at the stricken look on the woman's face.

"What the hell are you do- who the hell are you?" Inuyasha's questions changed as he rounded the corner with Shippo, golden eyes instantly hardening defensively. Shippo jumped onto his shoulder, his little green eyes curious.

"Huh," was the woman's answer as she stalked away.

Kagome smiled and danced over to Inuyasha.

"Who was that?" Inuyasha repeated, dog ears twitching. "Was she trying to kill you or something?" His gaze instantly darkened. "I'll go hunt her down if she was." he offered.

"No, she wasn't trying to kill me," Kagome replied with a tight smile, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the car. "But let's go before she decides she wants to come back…"

"Kagome…" Inuyasha said with a warning tone, his ears flattening against his skull.

"I told you, it was nothing," Kagome waved him off, climbing into the backseat to sit with Shippo. It would be safer that way- she wouldn't have to worry about Inuyasha shooting her angry looks because she hadn't told him the truth. "Let's go, Rin and I promised we'd take Sango car shopping, and then we're heading to the mall. You can come, too, Shippo."

"Yay!" Shippo cried, climbing into his car seat beside me.

Inuyasha climbed into the driver's seat, grumbling with annoyance. "Basically you're shopping for hours on end, spending all of _our_ money," he snorted.

"Yep!" I exclaimed, smiling brightly at him. "I'll get you something while we're out if you really want me to."

"Whatever," he growled, rolling his eyes and starting the car.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"I LOVE IT!" Sango squealed for the fifty millionth time as they climbed out and headed for the mall to shop some more. She patted her new red truck affectionately, and then followed us in. "It's perfect!"

"As you've said for the past hour, Sango," Rin sighed, rolling her eyes good naturally. "Now, how about you and I go find a surprise dress for you and Kagome while she takes Shippo to look at stuff."

Kagome gently took Shippo's hand with a smile. "Alright. We'll meet up with you in a bit, kay? Come on, Shippo, we gotta get something for Inuyasha, too, like I promised."

"Okay!" Shippo exclaimed, dragging her off towards where some toys were located. "Oooh!" he cheered, taking a water gun off a shelf. "Look, Kagome!"

Kagome smiled. "Do you want it?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, then, since we have Inuyasha's credit card…" Kagome gave a sly smile. "Get three of those and you, me, and Inuyasha can all have a water gun fight when we get home, okay?"

"Yay!" Shippo cheered, rapidly grabbing three of the fairly nice water guns. Then he dragged her further down the row to some action figures, Kagome laughing at his expression.

A few minutes later found Kagome examining a beaded necklace with fang shaped decorations on it. The beads were indigo colored, and reminded her of her half-demon for some reason. "Hey, Shippo!" She called softly, picking the string of beads up. "I know it's a necklace, but do you think Inuyasha would like this?" She asked as the fox demon jumped onto her shoulder.

"Kagome," Shippo scoffed, "Inuyasha likes anything you get him. But this necklace is weird…"

"It is made for those with spiritual powers to use," an elderly voice suddenly said. I glanced over my shoulder to see a kind looking old lady. "Usually used to subdue demons."

Kagome started to laugh. "What about half-demons? Does it subdue them, too?" She gasped through giggles. Shippo burst into laughter beside her.

"I would suppose so," the elderly lady said, shooting us a strange look.

"We'll take them," Kagome said with a bright grin.

They purchased the beaded necklace and started out of the store to look for Sango and Rin. It was easy to find them with Sango's boomerang towering over everything and a small, two tailed demon running beside her. "San-" Kagome broke off calling her friend's name with a sudden gasp. "That's-"

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Sango asked as her and Rin walked over, having spotted the young woman. "Are you okay?" "I sense a Jewel Shard." Kagome whispered, head jerking in the direction. "It's that way, Sango! Come on!" She darted in the direction, feeling the power become stronger as she neared it. Sango and Rin were right behind her with Shippo on Kirara.

And they soon found it…below a bench. Kagome frowned. "It's just there to randomly pick up. That's strange." She glanced around, wary that it could be a trap. Then she edged forward.

"Be careful, Kagome," Rin cautioned. "You don't know what'll happen."

"I know, I know," Kagome mumbled, then shot forward and grasped the shard.

**~~OO~~II~~O~~**

"You have _got_ to be kidding me, Miroku," Inuyasha said, astonished at his friend as Miroku revealed his plans. "You are seriously going to do that? Damn, you really care for this woman, don't you?"

Miroku nodded, biting his lip thoughtfully. "Yeah. I'll tell her as soon as she get's here and then I'll ask her to marry me, simple as that…do you think she'll say yes, Inuyasha?" "Huh. I dunno." Inuyasha replied, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Ugh. Tonight's not gonna be fun. I'll have to explain to Kagome…"

"Tonight's the new moon, isn't it?" Miroku asked, sighing and leaning back. It was nice to be in the Mansion again, especially now that Sango was staying with them…

"Yeah." Inuyasha sighed. "Kagome doesn't know about that yet."

"Hm. You have fun telling her about it." Miroku chuckled, popping a piece of gum in his mouth. He grinned…which then faltered. "The Wind Tunnel's not going to allow me to last for very much longer, Inuyasha. We have to find Naraku before it swallows me up."

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome frowned as nothing happened when she picked up the stray shard. "I guess…someone just dropped it." she said in surprise. "Come on; let's get back to the Mansion. I gotta tell Inuyasha about this…"

"Alright, Kagome," Rin said with a smile. "Sango, let's go ride in your truck some more, huh?"

They all walked out to Sango's truck and put their stuff in the trunk. Sango had bought a shirt, some shoes, some jewelry, and some other girly accessories. Rin had bought Kagome's surprise dress, a pair of earrings, and a book. Kagome had gotten the necklace for Inuyasha and the three water guns so they could have a water gun fight like she had promised Shippo. "As soon as we get back," she had promised Shippo.

Shippo buckled his seatbelt and settled in for the ten minute car ride to the Mansion. "Can we have the water gun fight in the garden?" He asked Kagome with pleading eyes.

Kagome winced. All the greenery and shrubbery had died from Naraku's miasma, so everything was dead and brown. "How about we do it in my backyard? I have an old wooden tree house you can secretly shoot Inuyasha from, 'kay? We'll secretly tag team on him."

"Yay!" Shippo cheered, doing a pinky promise with his motherly figure. "We're gonna get Inuyasha soaked!

"Sounds like you guys are gonna have a blast," Sango chuckled as she started up the car. "I'll have to keep Miroku away from the water guns. He might steal one and sneak up on Inuyasha in the middle of the night."

Rin joined in with Kagome's outburst of laughter. "Gotta keep 'em away from both of them when we're not around. They might tag team and sneak up on Fluffy," she joked, fingering a lock of raven black hair.

Shippo burst into giggles. "Can I spray Sesshomaru, Rin? He won't get mad at me for doing it!"

"Hmmm…" Rin tapped her chin with her forefinger. "I suppose it would be alright. How many guns did you get?"

"Three," Kagome replied. "We can go get some more right now if you guys want to join in though. We'll get some for the guys, too."

"Sango, turn this car around," Rin laughed.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

An hour later found Rin stealthily peeking around the corner where the three men were hanging out. She had made sure the fan was off so that the two demons wouldn't smell them. She nodded at Shippo, who was on the other side of the doorway with Kagome. Sango and Rin grinned and then yelled, "ATTACK!"

All four burst into the room, startling two of the men. Sesshomaru didn't show surprise…until Shippo sprayed him in the face with a water gun.

The three women soaked each of their men with a water gun, while Shippo sprayed one of them randomly. Inuyasha sputtered in shock as Kagome's water gun emptied, leaving him soaking wet. Miroku got the same treatment, but Sesshomaru moved quickly, easily plucking the water guns out of their hands before he got wet.

"Damn!" Kagome laughed as she walked over to Inuyasha, seeing his shocked and wet face. "We…we surprised you with…with…with water guns!" She gasped, blue eyes sparking with amusement.

Miroku immediately pounced on Sesshomaru. "Give me that one!" He yelled, snatching a full water gun away like a child. It took Inuyasha five seconds to copy him and Sesshomaru abandoned the other one -the empty one- after taking one for himself.

So began the water gun war.

Shippo scrambled for the abandoned one while Kagome and Sango hightailed it down one hall way and Rin went down another. Kagome made it to the already filled extras first and snatched one up, whipping around and catching Miroku square in the face. Sango joined in with soaking her boyfriend, having reached the spares second.

A moment later, Rin came hightailing it down the stairs, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru hot on her tail.

And then Sesshomaru growled something to his half-brother, both disappearing a moment alter.

"Truce!" Miroku cried, throwing his gun down.

"Ha!" Sango teased. "We win against you! Now, do we need to tie you up, do I need to beat you with Hiraikotsu, or will you help us in our war against Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, since they have an advantage against us?" "Alliance!" Shippo voted. Kagome and Rin chimed in with the fox kit, who looked like he was having the most fun he had had since Inutaisho died.

"Okay, we need to go in groups," Miroku decided, picking up his gun with a grin. "I'll go with Sango. Rin, you, Shippo and Kagome go together. You three sneak up the central staircase -and look _everywhere_-, while we sneak around the back servant's staircase, got it?"

The other four team mates nodded and each team started off for their assigned destination.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Inuyasha still couldn't believe he was teaming up with is half-brother. It was one of those rare miracle moments, like when you find a one hundred dollar bill in an old picture frame.

Sesshomaru's plan rang through his mind.

_Get somewhere they won't notice you. On top of a bookcase, one of those secret barriers in the walls that only a Takahashi can get through, even behind a door. When they don't expect anything, spray them._

And so here was Inuyasha, hiding behind one of the three secret barriers that kept the hider invisible. It was made for when Naraku attacked, but it had its advantages…

"This way, Rin! Shh, Shippo-Chan!"

Inuyasha's ears swiveled in the direction of Kagome's voice, a grin spreading across his face.

Okay, so you had twenty something year old adults playing with water guns…but it was fun!

Kagome peeked into the room and Inuyasha patiently waited for the others to emerge, pumping his gun up. He noticed with a soft growl that it was almost empty. His gaze locked on Shippo. _I'll soak Kagome and Rin, and since that kid likes to squirt and run, I'll chase after him…_

_Right…_

_NOW!_

Inuyasha emerged with a laugh, soaking his girlfriend and sister-in-law. Then he turned on Shippo, who, as he expected, squirted at him with the water gun before turning and high tailing it down the hall. Inuyasha darted after him, shooting water from behind. He forgot one minor detail however…

The two women had water guns, too.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Miroku! Sango!" Kagome laughed and waved as she saw their two team mates just down the hall way. "Inuyasha called a truce so he's on our team now." She announced, fondly patting the said half-demon's head, gently brushing her fingers over his ears. "Now, we have to find Sesshomaru…"

"He's not in here," Inuyasha said immediately, sniffing the air. "I think he snuck outside…"

Sango groaned. "Now we gotta go sneak through all that creepy dead stuff, damn it! Okay, Shippo, you can go with Inuyasha and Kagome. Rin, come with us. We'll all go outside, but we'll head right at the door and you guys will head the other way around the mansion. We'll meet at the back."

"Got it," Rin said with an evil grin. "We'll get Fluffy if it's the last thing we do… Now let's go!"

Both teams stepped outside and started heading around to their respectful sides.

Inuyasha glanced nervously at the sun, noticing that it was getting close to sundown. "We should head to your place soon, Kagome. Err, Shippo needs to go to bed eventually…"

"Nah-uh!" Shippo protested, shooting a glare at his older cousin. "You're just saying that because it's the new -BLAH!" The child and the two adults -as well as Rin, Miroku, and Sango- began sputtering as a large amount of water shot into their faces after they had all met up behind the mansion.

Sitting in a tree just a few feet away, sat a fairly amused Sesshomaru, holding a hose with a sprayer. "You are all so stupid that you did not happen to notice what this Sesshomaru noticed," he announced, continuing to spray the group with a smirk.

"Kag -Bleh! Kagome! How come the-" Sango sputtered again, "-demons _always_ win?"

Kagome hid behind Inuyasha, using him as a shield against the water. "I don't know…HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" She suddenly shrieked as Inuyasha whirled around, and instead used her as a shield against the water. In turn, Sango, Rin, Miroku, and Shippo also used her as a shield. "I'M NOT A DAMN SHIELD!" She yelled past the water.

Sesshomaru, deciding that they were wet enough, released the hose and jumped down…a bad choice on his part, as Shippo darted over, grabbed the hose, and immediately aimed it at the demon.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Another hour later, Shippo was out cold in Sango's arms. Sango waved off Inuyasha and Kagome, saying he could spend the night with her. Miroku shot Inuyasha a nervous look and Inuyasha smirked, mouthing back, _Your idea!_

In the car, where shadows covered Inuyasha's face, everything rapidly changed. He cursed angrily as the sun went down and he gave a single pulse. Not that Kagome could see, but his silver hair turned black, his ears vanishing. His claws shrank into nails, fangs into teeth, and his golden eyes became a deep onyx color. "Damn!"

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked, glancing over at Inuyasha as he gently pressed the gas pedal down. "Something wrong?"

"No, not really," he replied. _Yeah, I gotta damn problem! This is why I need the damn Jewel after we gather all the Shards!_

As if reading his mind, Kagome suddenly gasped, "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" She dug in her pocket for a moment, and then produced the small bottle she kept the shards in. "Look! We found another shard just lying around today!"

"It was just lying around?" Inuyasha asked, surprised.

"Yeah, it was suspicious at first, 'cause we all thought something was going to happen, but nothing happened." Kagome explained happily. "It's a relief. We still need to get Koga's shards, and the rest…why the heck is Sango calling?"

Inuyasha smirked knowingly as she answered. "Hello?"

"_THE GUY ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM!"_

Kagome jerked the phone away from her ear in surprise, eyes going wide. "What the hell are you talking about?!" She demanded, putting it back to her ear.

"Miroku…asked me…to marry him." Sango repeated slowly. Kagome could almost see the blush coating her cheeks.

Kagome squealed as Inuyasha pulled into her driveway. "Aww! What did you say?!"

"Err…"

"Come on, tell me!"

"Yes?"

"YAY!" Kagome squealed again, scrambling out of Inuyasha's car. "You gotta let me pick out your wedding dress, San…go…" her eyes widened and she trailed off when a human Inuyasha appeared, looking wary. "I'm gonna…call you…back…" She said, then clicked end. "What the hell happened to you?!"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

**A/N: Okay, so it was practically a filler chapter but come on, you know you loved the idea of Sesshomaru hosing everyone down. ^_^ Thoughts?**


	19. Just a Nightmare

**A/N: Okay, so I'm back with another chapter today ^_^ Enjoy it, cherish it, all that stuff, disclaimers, and…;-; Watched the saddest video on you tube just now. Anyhow, enjoy!**

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Calm down, Kagome," Inuyasha said through gritted teeth as he once again tried to calm down the hyperventilating Kagome, who was pacing anxiously around the room. "I'll explain if you sit down and shut up."

Kagome went another lap around the living room before replying, "You can explain while I walk and try not to purify you to Hell and back."

Inuyasha winced but said quickly, "It's not permanent, it's just temporary. It happens to all half-demons, got it? Every half-demon has a time of weakness where they become human. It's nothing important. I'll just be like this till sunrise, and then it's like it never happened."

Kagome shot him a wary look. "You're sure its just temporary, Inuyasha?"

"Of course," he snorted, crossing his arms against his chest and propping his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. "I've done this every new moon for seven hundred years, I think I'd know if it was permanent or not."

"Seven hundred years, huh?" Kagome said thoughtfully, still pacing. She sighed. "Okay, but you're sure you'll go back to normal?"

"Keh! I should have just gone off like I usually do," Inuyasha muttered to himself, his dark eyes gleaming with fury.

"Hey!" Kagome said sharply. "It's more dangerous for you when you're like this, right? So you're not going anywhere!"

"I won't, jeez. Just shut up and go to bed or something," Inuyasha snapped, propping his arms behind his head and sliding his eyes shut.

"Oh, yeah!" Kagome suddenly exclaimed, digging in her pocket. "I almost forgot! Shippo and I got something for you when we were out shopping!" She produced the beaded necklace.

Inuyasha took one look, and then burst out laughing. "You got me a necklace, Kagome? Seriously?"

Kagome smiled innocently. "Not just any necklace, the sales woman said it's used for subduing demons and half-demons, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha immediately stopped laughing, his eyes going wide. "You wouldn't…" Kagome smiled and sidled over to him, and easily slipped it over his head.

Inuyasha growled and jumped to his feet, trying to pull it off. To his horror, it was as if an invisible force refused to allow it to come off. "TAKE IT OFF!"

"Sit down, already…what the heck?" She broke off as Inuyasha's face suddenly hit the ground. "Hey…did you trip or something, Inuyasha?"

"Damn!" The half-demon turned mortal hissed. "I hate these kinds of beads!" He began desperately jerking on them. "Kagome, take them off!"

"Not until you tell me how you tripped when you're just standing there!"

"Because the first word you said was the one that'll trigger the damn necklace! It's like a shock collar for dogs, except when you say-"

"Sit?"

_Crash!_

"Sweet!" Kagome cheered, punching a fist into the air. "If you piss me off that's all I have to say? Ha!"

Inuyasha groaned, climbing to his feet. "Damn…spiritual…items…" He muttered, jumping onto the couch and trying to pull it off. Then he smirked when Kagome opened her mouth to say it again. He jerked her over into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Ha! If you say it now, you go down with me!"

Kagome pouted, her new found freedom gone in a matter of moments. "But I was having fun!" He shot her a weird look. "You were having fun doing that? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kagome smiled and kissed his cheek before reaching over to the coffee table and picking up the mail from that morning. "Let's see…" she murmured, still sitting in the human Inuyasha's lap. "Junk…bill. Great," she added sarcastically. "My paycheck barely covers this one. Junk…more junk…even more junk…wedding invitation…junk…wait, what?" She backtracked and pulled out the invitation. She blinked, and then squealed happily. "Souta's getting married! My little brother's all grown up now!"

Inuyasha tightened his grip on her. "You mean the one that Naraku pretended to be?"

"Yeah, but this time, Souta's real," Kagome announced happily. "He's getting to married to the girl he met in America! What was her name…? I think it was Amber or something…yeah, it was Amber. Anyhow, I'm going to call him really fast, so give me a second." She climbed from his lap to grab her cell phone. "Let's see… its midnight here… so it'll be nine there…not too early." She punched in the number and with a gleeful look, said, "Sit!" She burst into laughter as Inuyasha's face kissed the ground again.

"Hello?" "Oh, hey Souta!" Kagome exclaimed, laughing as Inuyasha climbed to his feet. "I got your wedding invitation. Congrats!"

"Thanks," Souta replied. You could almost see the grin on his face. "So are you coming?"

"Of course," Kagome scoffed. "But do you mind if Sango comes and we each bring one guest…okay, I might bring two…"

"Sure," Souta replied cheerfully. "Go ahead. Who are the guests?"

"Well, I'm gonna bring Inuyasha and his little cousin Shippo, and Sango's gonna bring her fiancé, Miroku. And we'll all _sit_ together of course." She said, taking advantage of her words to get Inuyasha to hit the ground again. _Ha! This is what you get for disappearing for two weeks!_

"What was that?" Souta asked after agreeing to her request. "Is something going on?"

"No, just that my half-demon boyfriend needs to _sit _down on the couch with me," Kagome giggled. "And that every time I say the word 'sit', his face hit's the ground."

"Cut it _out_, Kagome!" Inuyasha snapped, climbing to his feet. "It hurts!"

"Alright," Kagome sighed sadly. She had been enjoying herself immensely. "So…Souta?" her tone became solemn. "Did you…you know, tell Mom?" Souta quickly sobered. "Yeah, are you going to visit her when you come?" "Of course," Kagome sighed with a bitter look. She glanced at Inuyasha when he suddenly tugged on her sleeve, looking like an innocent child. "Well, I'll tell Sango. See you soon, Souta!" She hung up after his reply and turned to face the half-demon, now mortal. "What?"

"What's with that look?" Inuyasha demanded, looking slightly scared.

Kagome smiled slightly, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I was talking with Souta…about whether or not he told, you know, our mom. I was remembering when she died, that's all, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha gently pressed a kiss to her lips. "Don't get upset over it. Maybe she's met Mother and the old man in the Netherworld. I bet they're making plans, knowing Mother," He added darkly, rolling his eyes.

Kagome laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, gently tugging him closer for another light kiss. She found it strange that he didn't have dog ears…but she guessed she could get used to it. He did seem to be more emotional at the moment… When she pulled away, she gave a true smile. "I'm going to bed, 'kay? Night, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha sighed and watched her head up the stairs.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

A few hours later -around three in the morning-, Kagome woke up with a small shriek. She bolted upright in bed, hands shaking violently as she brushed her hair off of her sweaty head. "J…just a d…d…dream…" she stammered, then buried her face in her hands for a moment. The same scene came racing back again and again, no matter how many times she tried to banish it: her killing Inuyasha without meaning to.

She climbed out of bed, continuing to shake. She knew she was acting like a child, but she couldn't help it. It was a nightmare that you couldn't shake off, as it could have happened. _I'll just…make sure he's down there to reassure myself…_she said silently, quietly opening her bedroom door. She peeked out, biting her lip as she edged into the hallway. Walking towards the stairs, she repeated looking around for anyone, then went down those. She soon reached the living room, sighing with relief when she saw Inuyasha…awake?

He yawned, his still onyx colored eyes drifting tiredly over to her. "Kagome? What's wrong? Are…" he broke off in a yawn before continuing. "Are you okay?"

Kagome nodded hesitantly. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you. Just…making sure you were still here."

Inuyasha frowned. "Why wouldn't I be here, Kagome? It's not like I plan on going anywhere," he replied, folding his hands behind his head. "What's up?"

"It doesn't matter," Kagome replied, shaking her head. "I'm going back to bed…"

"Okay…?"

Silence, then-

"…Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"…Can I sleep with you?" Kagome asked in a small voice, able to imagine herself as a small child holding onto a blanket.

Inuyasha chuckled, climbing to his feet. "Sure, works for me."

Kagome shot him a warning look. "Don't try anything."

"I didn't plan on it," Inuyasha snorted back, starting up the stairs. "Come on, you need sleep."

Kagome nodded and followed him up the stairs. Upon reaching her bedroom, she slipped into the queen sized bed, feeling Inuyasha's arms wrap around her moments later, enveloping her in a warm embrace. Kagome snuggled happily against his chest, sighing with content. Inuyasha smirked and pressed his face into her hair, listening as her breathing deepened and she fell asleep.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

When Kagome woke up, she found her face pressed against a warm chest, palms also resting against it. She rapidly remembered the night before and felt her cheeks heat up. _That's right! I asked him if he would sleep with me!_ Instead of moving away, however, she snuggled closer. Why not take advantage of the moment? In response, she heard a soft growl rumble in Inuyasha's chest and he pressed against her. Kagome noticed with a slight shock that his hair was silver again. He smirked, knowing that she was awake, but pretended not to notice. He liked this idea of 'cuddling' or whatever you wanted to call it.

Kagome smiled, and then frowned when Inuyasha shifted slightly. "Inuyasha?"

"What?" He asked, jaws cracking open in a wide yawn.

"You're kind of crushing my arm."

"Sorry!" Inuyasha yelped, jerking upright and away from Kagome -to her disappointment. "Didn't mean to!" He apologized, examining her anxiously for any injuries.

Kagome chuckled and sat up as well, stretching so that she was more awake. "I'm fine, Inuyasha…you know what? Why don't we go on a date today? It is Sunday, and we have nothing to do, so…"

"Sure," Inuyasha said eagerly. "Where the hell are we going?"

"…dunno?" Kagome squeaked with a smile. She leaped out of bed and began searching through her clothes for a nice outfit. "Let's see…I don't want to go eat out…so how about we go to the park?" "Seriously?" Inuyasha said curiously. "You want…to go hang out in the _park_?"

"Sure!" Kagome laughed, smiling brightly. "I love the park, Inuyasha. It has all the birds and stuff, and its pretty. Then later I gotta talk to Sango about her wedding…awww! Her and Miroku are perfect for each other!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes and stretching before climbing out of bed himself. He was still in yesterday's clothing, but it looked as if he had juts put them on. "I'm surprised that he hasn't flirted with any women these past few weeks. He hasn't even gone for Sango's ass yet, so she seriously must mean a lot to him…"

Kagome smiled, pulling out a dark blue blouse. "Yeah, I think he does…now go. I need to change. I'll be down in a few moments and then we can spend the whole day at the park!"

**A/N: Once again ;-; A short chapter. I'm so sorry. But I'm about to pass out so…hope you enjoyed!**


	20. Girls' Day Out

**A/N: I am so proud of myself. I drew Kagome and Inuyasha, and then Rukia from Bleach :D Anyhow, disclaimers, and enjoy the story! **

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Okay, Kagome, we're at the park. Now what the hell do we do?" Inuyasha growled with a bored tone, and then sneezed. _Stupid parks…all the damn flowers make my nose stuffed. Then I can't smell the damn demons that run around!_

His thoughts were interrupted when Kagome squealed and shot towards something. "Look, Inuyasha! It's so cute!" She cooed, pointing at a duckling that was floating in the water. An orange leaf drifted from the tree above them.

_Then again_, he thought, _Kagome likes this kind of stuff, so if it makes her happy, I'll live with it for the day._ _Hmmm…fall's almost here…_ his gaze darkened. _The winter's going to be dangerous, I can feel it. With Naraku and that woman running around…something's going to happen. And I'll make sure Kagome's not involved with it…_

"What's with that face?" Kagome demanded, splaying her fingers as she placed her hands on her hips. "You look like you're pissed off with me. What's wrong?"

"Who ever said anything was wrong," Inuyasha snorted, golden eyes flashing defensively. "I was thinking, damn it!"

"Okay, okay," Kagome sighed, and then smiled brightly. "But please be nicer, Inuyasha. You could enjoy yourself, you know. And if you piss me off…" she grinned evilly. "I'm not afraid to use the word!"

Inuyasha froze and then forced a smirk. "Fine." He muttered, avoiding her gaze and turning it on the trees that had leaves drifting to the ground.

"Good!" Kagome cheered brightly, smiling happily at him. Then she grabbed his clawed hand and began dragging him towards a pond. "Come on! Let's go see some more of those ducks!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. _She's like a kid…_ He allowed himself to be drug over to a pond like she wanted, then carefully pulled away when she decided to kneel beside it. He stood behind her, watching her carefully. "Kagome…." he murmured, defensive eyes softening considerably.

Once he had thought Kikyo had been his life, the one he had been meant to be with forever. But when their love had been corrupted by Naraku's interference, he had known their love would not last. But everything was different with Kagome. His world revolved around her now. He couldn't imagine anyone else he'd rather be around. She loved him with her whole heart -not that she'd said it out loud- and he loved her -same for him-, and Inuyasha had the distinct feeling that if something ever came between them like with Kikyo… he would never heal, forever grieving until he died.

"Inuyasha," Kagome laughed, glancing over her shoulder at him. Her raven black hair swung around her shoulders, her blue eyes sparking happily. "Relax! You look like you're about to kill someone or something!"

"Keh! Something wrong with me wanting to kill an evil bastard?" Inuyasha sniffed in reply, looking away again.

"Can you stop thinking about Naraku for once?" Kagome huffed, tugging on his hand. "Just enjoy yourself! Come on, please?" Inuyasha sighed and flopped down beside her. "Fine! I'm relaxing! Happy now?" "Yep!" Kagome cheered with a bright smile, leaning happily against him. "Oh, and after this we gotta go run by your Mansion. I want to talk to Sango in person about her getting married. I think I'll take her out on a girl's night tonight…"

"I thought we were spending all day here," Inuyasha taunted, lying in the grass with his hands folded behind his head.

"We are," Kagome replied, her hands itching towards his ears. As if sensing her wishes, Inuyasha shifted his head into her lap, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked up at her. Kagome grinned in delight and immediately began to massage the furry appendages, her smile growing with each passing moment. Inuyasha sighed, not willing to admit that he enjoyed it. "But, we can literally do that. The others might get worried."

"Who cares about the others," Inuyasha scoffed, eyes sliding shut with an almost inaudible sigh. "Screw them." "Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed, shocked. "What's wrong with you today?" She removed her hand from his ears…only to have him nuzzle his head back into her hands. She hid her smile. Best way to torture the answer out of him, she decided. She placed her hands on either side of herself, ignoring his attempts to get her to rub his ears again. _He's just like a puppy…_

"Kagome…" He complained, his golden eyes glaring up at her.

"I'll rub your ears if you tell me what's wrong!" She declared in response with a smirk. "Now tell me!" "There's nothing going on!" He growled back, an ear twitching -purposely, Kagome was sure, 'cause now she wanted to rub it again against her will.

"Sure," Kagome said sarcastically, laying back on her back and starting to play with the grass. Her long legs straightened until she was lying properly on her back, the half-demon's head still in her lap. "And I can magically fly. What the hell's wrong with you, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha growled, sitting up. "Nothing, damn it!"

"Tell me!"

"No! It doesn't matter!"

"So there is something!"

"N…No there's not!"

"Ha! You just hesitated! Now tell me, Inuyasha! I won't laugh or anything!" Kagome protested, lightly jerking on a lock of his hair. "Please?"

"Damn it all!" Inuyasha cursed, glowering down at her. "Just leave it! It doesn't include you!"

Kagome ducked her head, blinking slowly as tears pricked the back of her eyes. So now he didn't want to tell her about something important? Was he planning on…no, she couldn't even think of it. He would never break up with her…would he?

Inuyasha's ear swiveled as a breeze drifted his way. He breathed in Kagome's scent…and salt? He whirled around, ears flattening in the process. "Why the hell are you crying?!" "It doesn't matter," Kagome taunted harshly, scrubbing her eyes fiercely. "Damn…I don't know why I'm crying…" "Kagome, tell me!" Inuyasha demanded.

Kagome suddenly smirked. "I'll tell you if you tell me."

_Damn! I walked right into that one, though…_ he admitted grudgingly. "Fine!" He snapped, pulling her into his lap. He rested his chin on her head and wrapped his arms around her torso. He felt her relax against him and smirked, gently kissing her neck. "I was thinking about you."

"Me?" Kagome squeaked, utterly shocked. "What about me?" Inuyasha stiffened, growling slightly. _This_ is what he'd been worried about: how the hell was he supposed to tell her that he loved her? They had admitted _feelings_, yes, but not that word. "I…"

"Come on, Inuyasha. You know," Kagome teased him. "You're pretty quick and brave while fighting other demons, but outside of battle you're pretty slow."

Inuyasha snorted. "Shut it, wench. It's not my fault! I'm made for fighting, not…whatever else!"

"Hmmm…" Kagome lightly tweaked one of his ears with a grin. "So you don't think you're made for someone out there?"

Inuyasha's grip tightened and he growled slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Mom used to always tell me," Kagome said softly, eyes sliding closed as he began planting light kisses along her neck. "that everyone was born for someone, but we all make mistakes in who we want to spend our life with. She says that the occasional people find their true other half. Mom found hers with Dad -that is, until he died. She used to tell me, also, that someday, she knew that I would find my other half, that I would know when I found him -or her, though I'm more into guys," she said with a chuckle, and then became serious. "But I don't know how I'll know. Inuyasha, you mean the world to me right now…but someday, I bet you'll find another woman, one that's meant to be with you forever. And then I'll get left behind, but still happy that you'll be happy." She smiled softly, pressing back against him. "But until then…I'll enjoy myself, by your side, Inuyasha. I'll help defeat Naraku. I'll help find shards of the Jewel…and I'll stay at your side until that time is up."

"Kagome…" Inuyasha looked shocked at her speech. Then he grinned and rested his chin on top of her head again. "There won't be another woman, Kagome. I promise. You're… different from anyone else. I swear, Kagome, I won't ever leave your side."

Kagome grinned. "I love you, too, Inuyasha."**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"You're getting married, Sango!" Kagome bawled into her friend's arms, clutching Sango in a happy embrace. "I've known you for years…and now you're getting married!"

"You're acting like your mom would," Sango told her with a laugh, prying Kagome away from her. "Now, what's this you say about a girl's night out? Where will we go tonight?"

Kagome took on a mischievous grin. "Oh, nothing much…just thought that perhaps we could go get drunk at the club and have the men pick us up at around midnight?"

Sango squealed and grinned. "Yes!" She exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. "That is so what we're doing! Let's go get changed! And make yourself look sexy, Kags! I need to have one more flirty night!"

Meanwhile, downstairs, Inuyasha and Miroku were silently eavesdropping.

"Kagome just said they're going to the club," Inuyasha announced with a pissed off look. "Great! All those damn serial killer _youkai_ go to those things!"

"We could always go after them and secretly spy on them…" Miroku suggested with a lecherous grin. "We could have my little bachelor party! Speaking of which, I bet there will be some free women at that party…"

Inuyasha shot him a dark look. "You, my friend, are the sickest bastard I have ever met. So help me, I will go get Sesshomaru and tell him you were flirting with Rin if you don't shut your trap."

Miroku instantly clammed up, fearing the wrath of the dog demon.

"And we're _not_ following them," Inuyasha added at the sight of his friends lecherous glint.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"No," Inuyasha's flat out growl came as Kagome revealed Rin's choice of clothing for her night out. "Hell no."

"Oh come on, it's not that bad," Kagome protested, though her face was red as a tomato. The dress she wore was a deep violet sleeveless one that showed a slight amount of cleavage. It stopped about halfway up her thighs…and Inuyasha hated it.

If it was them going on a date, it would be different, he decided. But she was going to a club. _With male youkai stationed inside._

"Not that bad? There's gonna be some bastard trying to pull something on you, Kagome!" Inuyasha snapped, golden eyes full of anger. "So I repeat: no."

Kagome put on her best innocent face. "But Inuyasha…" She grinned and allowed her spiritual powers to arise. "If they do that I'll purify them, human or not."

"I still say no," Inuyasha sniffed.

"Well I'm leaving whether you like it or not, and Sango and I are taking the limo," Kagome announced, turning and reaching for her purse. She shouldered it, shot a quick smirk at Inuyasha, and then sidled out of the room.

Inuyasha hesitated, and then stalked after her. "Hey! Get over here, wench!" He demanded. With his inhuman speed, he eventually caught up and pressed a gentle kiss on her -inviting- lips. "Don't be gone too long, Kagome." He told her seriously.

"Alright, alright," Kagome said, waving him off. "I'll see you later, Inuyasha. Love you!" She announced, pecking him on the cheek before disappearing out the door.

Inuyasha watched with a saddened look on his face. "I…love you, too."

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Kagooooooome!" Sango called with a high-pitched, happy tone as the said woman climbed into the limo. "We're gonna be honored guests when we get there!" She smirked and opened her wallet. After a moment, she revealed a piece of paper. "We have Rin's approval! She said that they'll let us in for free, give us free booze, and will allow us to do what we wish, as it has 'Rin Takahashi', 'Sesshomaru Takahashi', and 'Inuyasha Takahashi' on it, as well as all three of their 'passwords'." She said, using air quotes around the names.

"Yay!" Kagome cheered, happily pumping a fist into the air as the limo drove off. "Oh yeah, guess what." She took on an evil grin. "I gotta tell you what happened this morning and what happened just now."

"Speak, woman!" Sango commanded.

"Well this morning, we pretty much had a heart-to-heart chat. He didn't say the exact words, but he pretty much said he loves me!" Kagome proudly announced.

"About damn time!" Sango snorted, tucking a stray piece of brown hair behind her ear. "Took him long enough!"

"Yep! Oh, and just now, he got pissed off because I wore this damn dress Rin gave me," Kagome added, shooting the said dress and irritated look. Sango wore an identical -but green- one. "Damn dress is too revealing for him."

Sango burst into laughter. "That's hilarious."

"I know, I know!" Kagome joined in with the laughter, holding her stomach. "I can't imagine what would happen if we came across Koga!"

Sango stifled her giggles enough to choke out, "Oh my Kami, we should set that up and see what he does. But just in case he decides he loves you enough…you do realize that demons -half or not- have different ways of 'getting married'."

"Oh?" I said, curiously raising an eyebrow. "Could you please explain, my dear demon slayer friend?"

"You know I will," Sango grinned, waving of her question. "Most demons have their own way of claiming their 'mate', or husband/wife. Dog demons in particular leave a bite mark right…here." She explained placing a finger on the joint of Kagome's neck. "Wolf demons and _kitsune_ do the same. It's the physical symbol that you belong to that particular demon, Kagome. Rin has the mark, I'll get her to show it to you sometime. So if you ever do the naughty and he bites you," she took on the all too familiar gleam in her eye that Miroku sometimes got. "He's marking you."

Kagome silently gaped at her. "Did you just…you just said…"

"Yep," Sango smirked. "Now, shall we go impress the people that are now eagerly waiting to see who the hell we are?"

Kagome smirked as well. "Of course. Let's go." She linked arms with her best friend and then opened the limo door.

When they stepped outside, they were immediately met by a bunch of people curiously eying them. There was even an almost nude girl watching, her arms wrapped around a man's chest, with her chin on his shoulder.

"We are so gonna get wasted!" Sango cheered, throwing her arm around her friend's shoulder. "Now let's go, Kagome! I bet you can't beat my dancing skills!"

After her flashing her 'free' paper, they stepped inside. Immediately they were met by dancing bodies, the smell of smoke, and the booming of music. "This…is going to be the best thing this week," Sango grinned. "And that's including getting asked to marry Miroku."

"Eh, anything can compare to that, Sango," Kagome scoffed, tucking some hair behind her ear. "He's a lecher after all…let's go get some booze!"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"This is…fun…" Sango laughed, covering her mouth as she giggled. "All this alcohol…whew…Hey, I just saw Miroku…what are they doing here?"

Kagome giggled as well, swaying slightly on her feet. "I don't know." All symptoms vanished, however, when she sensed the familiar presence of a Sacred Jewel Shard. "Sango!" She hissed. "A Shard!"

Sango just laughed and began dancing with a random man.

"I guess I can get it myself…" Kagome decided hesitantly. Then she grinned stupidly as some of the alcohol's grip returned. "Eh, I can do it!"

"Go…Kagome!" Sango cheered.

Kagome wobbled off in the direction of the Shard, proudly thinking of how she would solve the problem of the Jewel Shard.

She followed the presence outside of the club, frowning as she walked. It went around a corner, into a fairly dark ally. Her gaze darkened as she found there was no demonic aura nearby. Not Naraku's strength, but close enough. "You with the Shikon Shard," she called confidently, her mind confused with the alcohol she had consume. "Reveal yourself and give up the Shard, or I'll purify you!"

"You will, will you," a dark voice thundered loudly, booming around Kagome. Kagome ignored it and nodded.

"Yeah," she said, annoyed. How dare this guy ruin her fun tonight? "So get your ass over here and give the Shard here. Sango's waiting for me inside. You better hand it over," she added. "Inuyasha'll get pissed off if you try to kill me."

"Oh? Then you know Inuyasha Takahashi, I take it. By the looks of you…you appear to look like the woman of his…you are, aren't you." "Gotta problem with me being his girlfriend?" Kagome scoffed, splaying her hands on her hips. "So hand it over and get the hell out of here, and maybe I'll spare you."

A man stepped forward…a regular human. "I see…I've been looking for that bastard. He almost killed me once…took m' family in the process. Time to make up for that…though maybe I'll have my way with you in the process…"

Kagome shuddered, but confidently stayed firm. "And how the hell do you expect to do that?"

"Easy," he was suddenly in front of her, a massive demonic aura coming from him. "You may be a priestess, Kagome Higurashi, but you do not know the ways you could use your powers. You need an object to use them, no?"

_Damn! He was possessed or something!_ Her body stiffened as she found she couldn't move. "Bastard…" She hissed through clenched teeth. _I can't…move…where the hell is…Inuyasha when you need…him…_

Kagome's breath left her as she was thrown backwards into a brick wall. Her mouth opened in a gasp of shock when the man appeared in front of her a moment later.

"You have more Sacred Jewel Shards, woman…" the man smirked, leaning closer so that he was a breath away. "Perhaps I will take them and become stronger…eventually…" "Get away…from me!" Kagome spat, having to force the words through her teeth, which were still clenched.

He smirked again and trailed his finger around the joint of her neck. "Ah…I see he half-demon has not marked you, huh? Perhaps I…can do it for him?"

Kagome's breathing became ragged from fear. "No!" She began desperately trying to move as the man's fingers lightly drifted down further, moving to the hem of her dress and hitching it up.

"If you don't get the hell away from her," a voice suddenly said with a deathly calm. "I swear to fucking Kami that I will tear you apart piece by piece. Oh, and hand over the Shard while you're at it."

_Thank Kami,_ Kagome sighed silently in relief.

Inuyasha's ears flattened when the man didn't move. "Didn't you hear me, you bastard? _Get the hell away from her!_" he snarled, suddenly unsheathed Tetsusaiga, sending his Wind Scar soaring at the man. It barely skimmed Kagome, and the man flew backwards -literally.

"Huh…and I was going to do you a favor. I see. Well, I must go, my dear Kagome, but perhaps next time we meet…things will be different. For now…I return to Naraku." The man smirked, then stepped backwards and vanished.

Kagome dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. Inuyasha was instantly at her side, wrapping his arms around her gently. "Kagome, are you okay?!" He asked urgently, his golden eyes dark with concern.

Kagome sniffled, eyes pooling with tears. "I…he…he almost…" She burst into tears and threw her arms around Inuyasha's neck.

Inuyasha tightly hugged her, gently nuzzling her neck to calm her. "Its okay, Kagome. You're safe now."

The main thing that ran through his mind, however, was: _How the hell is he involved with Naraku?_

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

**-sighs- Literally took me all damn day to write this. ^_^" Anyhow, thoughts? **


	21. Kakushi

**A/N: To all that are reading this and expecting some kind of lemons let me say this: I might have said before (might have been a different story), but I do not write lemons. I read them, yes, but no way in hell will I ever write them. It's hard enough for me to not cower in embarrassment at writing a detailed paragraph on relationships on my dad's computer with my bro looking over my shoulder. Just thought I'd say that…anyhow, disclaimers and enjoy!**

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Let me get this straight." Miroku gave Inuyasha a serious face after Inuyasha had returned from dropping Kagome at her place for a while. "You say that our women went to a club and danced without us?" "Damn it, Miroku, this isn't funny," Inuyasha hissed, shooting a glare at the monk. "I mean it! Kagome got into some…trouble with one of Naraku's men!"

Inuyasha sobered quickly, truly serious now. "Did you catch his name, Inuyasha? That could come in handy with all of this…"

"No, but if I see that bastard again…I'll rip his damn arms off!" Inuyasha growled. _How dare he harm Kagome!_ "It was strange though," he added, going back to his encounter with the 'human'. "At first glance, his aura and smell were just of a human's…but once you got up close or he attacked, it turned demon."

"Perhaps a human possessed by a demon?" Miroku suggested. "Oh and where's Sango?"

"Rin's picking her up," Inuyasha answered, absent mindedly scratching the back of his head. "And yeah, possibly. But wouldn't we still be able to sense the demonic aura? The other thing was… I couldn't see him until he noticed me."

"That is strange," Miroku agreed, leaning against the back of the couch with a thoughtful look. "Let's see…does he have a name yet?"

"Not that we've heard," Inuyasha confirmed, ear swiveling as he heard a car pull into the driveway. He ignored it and kept his eyes on Miroku.

"Okay, okay…" Miroku's usually sparkling violet eyes were dark with concentration. "So let me get this straight. The guy can not only hide his demonic aura, but you can't see him until you know he's there either?"

"Yep," Inuyasha replied, popping the 'p' as three women and a fox walked into the room. "Yo."

Kagome remained quiet, going over to sit next to Inuyasha as if she was deep in thought. She jumped in surprise when Inuyasha waved his hand in her face. "What?"

"I asked if you were okay," Inuyasha said with annoyance in his tone.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine…that guy from earlier had a Jewel Shard…" she said out loud, tapping her chin with her forefinger. When Inuyasha and Miroku shot her weird looks, she raised her eyebrows. "What? Isn't that what you were talking about?"

"Yeah, but that's not the point," Miroku turned to face Kagome as Sango threw herself down on the couch beside him. "You're sure he had this Shard, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded, her head bobbing as she did so. "Yeah. That's what got me out of the club to begin with. I was dancing with Sango, and then I felt the Shard and went after it. You already know the rest."

"I hate to interrupt," Rin suddenly said softly, "but where's Sesshomaru?" Shippo was already out cold on the floor, so she scooped him up to take him to bed.

"The bastard's waiting upstairs for you," Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes. "Now hurry up. He blames me when you're slow."

"Sesshomaru blames you for everything, Inuyasha," Miroku corrected, grinning as he wrapped his arm around the shoulders of his soon-to-be wife. He had a look in his eyes that Inuyasha knew better than to speak out about. According to Kagome, Sango was fairly violent when she was drunk. Inuyasha sighed and relaxed against the back of the couch as Miroku's 'cursed' hand began its normal descent…

_Wham!_

Miroku yelped and jumped to avoid Sango's Hiraikotsu as she slammed it down near where she had been. "YOU PERVERT!" She shrieked, throwing the massive boomerang.

"You didn't tell him about her behavior, did you?" Inuyasha asked Kagome, enjoying the entertainment before them as Miroku narrowly avoided getting sliced in half.

"I might have forgotten…" Kagome mused, leaning against the half demon happily. Her head rested on his shoulder, her fingers intertwining with his. "It might teach him a lesson on what to expect when they're married though, huh?"

"You could say that," Inuyasha agreed, a childish grin spreading across his face. "Damn Miroku!" He called, his ears swiveling as they followed the sounds. "She can beat your ass even when she _is_ drunk! You're pretty bad, aren't you?"

"Shut up, Inuyasha," Miroku groaned, jumping to avoid another swing…only to slam into the wall behind him. "Damn it!" He cursed. "Inuyasha, could you please help before she kills me? You're wall's about to die if you don't!"

"On it, Miroku!" Kagome replied for Inuyasha, climbing from her position -to Inuyasha's immense disappointment and irritation. She walked over to Sango, ducking to avoid her friend's weapon like a pro, and quickly jabbing a spot on her friend's neck. "Just hit a certain point hard enough to knock her out for a few hours," she explained to the wide eyed Miroku. "She'll be fine. She told me herself to do that when things got out of hand." She turned and returned to Inuyasha's side, smirking at his growl of approval. "Jealous of my close range with Miroku, were we?" she teased.

"…Shut it, wench," Inuyasha snorted back, folding his hands behind his head…to feel Kagome's hand rubbing an ear a moment later.

Miroku, who had dragged Sango over to the couch, burst out laughing at the scene before him.

In the minute it had taken him to drag his fiancé over, Inuyasha had propped his head in Kagome's lap, Kagome's hands massaging his ears as she giggled. Inuyasha's eyes slid shut.

Miroku grinned broadly and he said loudly, "If you drop the fact that my drunken woman beat me with her weapon, I will drop the fact that you are allowing Kagome to rub your ears like a dog."

Inuyasha's eyes flew open in shock and he sat up in a blur, turning furious golden eyes on Miroku. "What did you just say?"

"Go away, Miroku," Kagome complained, crossing her arms angrily. "I was just sitting- Oops! I forgot about those!"

"Damn it, wench!" Inuyasha growled from his new place on the floor, waiting impatiently for the annoying spell to wear off. "I am going to find something like this for you, just so you'll understand my pain."

Miroku burst into another round of roaring laughter. "Oh Kami, you got him some Beads of Subjugation?" he asked, trying to not topple over from laughing so hard.

"So that's what they're called," Kagome said, eyes widening slightly. "Sorry about that, Inuyasha. Anyways, what's wrong with me rubbing his ears, Miroku?"

Miroku's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Nothing really. You're just the only person he's ever allowed to touch them beside his mother."

"Really?" Kagome asked with a bright smile, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She then proceeded to yawn. "That…that's great!"

**~A/N: How strange…I wrote the word 'yawn' and proceeded to yawn myself…~**

"How is that great, woman?" Inuyasha snapped, lifting himself from the floor. "You're tired," he added thoughtfully. "Come on, we're going home. I'm driving, by the way, 'because I still smell alcohol on you, Kagome."

"Fine," Kagome sighed, climbing off the couch and walking towards the front door with a small wave at Miroku. "See you, Miroku. Careful if she wakes up; she's violent then, too, if she doesn't remember where she is."

Miroku blanched and Inuyasha followed Kagome out of the Mansion with a dry laugh.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Night, 'gome," Inuyasha called with a knowing smirk as she started up the stairs.

Kagome glanced down at him in surprise. "I'm shocked, Inuyasha, you're not at least attempting to join me?"

"Keh!" Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes and falling back on the -uncomfortable- couch and closing his eyes. "You'll sit me to an early grave if I do."

"Good point," Kagome nodded, tucking some hair behind her ear. She slipped down the stairs and stood over Inuyasha for a moment, smiling brightly before lightly kissing him.

Inuyasha surprised her by deepening the kiss, his clawed hands lightly fisting in her hair. He grinned when she pulled away, a confused look o her face.

"Good…night?" She said, and then started slowly towards the stairs again.

She disappeared up them and Inuyasha let out a sigh of disappointment. "Damn…wasn't invited…"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

The next day started out terribly for Miroku and Inuyasha…though it ended up horrible for everyone.

Sango groaned as she woke up, head pounding from the horrible hang over. "Damn it all…WHAT THE HELL!?" She shrieked, shooting backwards and off the side of the couch, startling Miroku awake in the process.

Sango had been sleeping comfortably, as she originally thought; the only problem was that she had found herself sleeping with a man's arms around her.

Sango looked around desperately for Hiraikotsu. She found it, and with a scream, used it to slam it down where Miroku had been laying moments before.

"SANGO!" Miroku yelled, jumping to avoid Hiraikotsu again. "Calm down! It's just me, damn it!"

"What are the two mortals doing so that this Sesshomaru can't get his rest?" Sesshomaru suddenly demanded, appearing and looking incredibly cranky.

"Oh," Sango muttered, lowering her weapon. "I apologize, Sesshomaru, the damn man scared me to Hell and back."

Sesshomaru vanished.

"Didn't Kagome tell you not to scare me when I'm having a hang over, damn it?!" Sango snapped at him, shouldering her massive boomerang.

"No, she told me to not bother you while you're drunk," Miroku said breathlessly. "She did _not_ say anything about a hang over."

As the two began to bicker good naturally, Inuyasha and Kagome (also) began to start their day.

Inuyasha growled as his face suddenly connected with the floor, followed by the rest of his body. "What the hell did I do now?!"

When he didn't get a response, he slipped upstairs to see if his girlfriend was okay. "Kagome?" He growled, peeking into her room. The sight that greeted him was normal; a sleeping Kagome. He edged over to her bed, peeking at her curiously. She had obviously sat him…

Kagome sighed in her sleep and Inuyasha stiffened. Then she muttered, "Inuyasha…sit. Don't do that."

Inuyasha yelped as his face hit the ground again with an enormous crash, cursing. "DAMN IT, KAGOME!"

Kagome woke up with a start, shooting upwards. Then she saw Inuyasha on the floor beside her. "Oh, Inuyasha. What are you doing in here?"

"Damn it, wench," Inuyasha hissed, waiting impatiently for the spell to wear off. When it did, he leaped to his feet. "You sat me in your sleep, damn it!"

Kagome glanced at her alarm clock, and then gasped. "I overslept! Sorry, Inuyasha. Now out! I gotta change, hurry up, go away damn it!" she yelped, rushing him out of the room. She slammed the door shut behind him before hurrying and putting on some clothes. She ran her brush through her hair, then yanked the door open and flew down the stairs, passing Inuyasha in the process. "I gotta go, Yash, see you later!" She called, too rushed to say Inuyasha's name right.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha snapped, flying down the stairs after her. But she was already gone.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Sometimes I wonder if women are worth it," Miroku sighed, reclining with Inuyasha on Kagome's couch as they discussed their mornings.

They were insanely bored, as Sesshomaru had gone to work, Shippo had gone to school, Kagome was at work, and the two other women had gone on a shopping trip.

"Yeah, they're not always worth the fuss," Inuyasha agreed, his eyes half lidded as he fell into a drowsy haze. "Hey, Kagome," he added as the said woman passed him. Then he sputtered the soda he had been drinking on Miroku and climbed to his feet. "Wait, what the hell are you doing home so early?"

Kagome glanced over her shoulder, looking surprised. "Hmmm? Oh, I…Inuyasha, what are you doing here?"

Inuyasha zoned in on the boxes she held. "What are those?" He could practically smell suspicion coming from Miroku as the man leaned over the back of the couch and narrowed his eyes.

"N…nothing," Kagome stammered, hurrying and rushing towards the stairs. "Just some things I bought…"

"Like _hell_!" Inuyasha snarled. Something wasn't right, he had decided. So on the last word; he raked his claws across the girl.

"_INUYASHA!_" Miroku yelped, shock evident on his face. "What the hell did you _do_?"

"Are you stupid, Miroku?" He growled as Kagome let out an ear-splitting screech and dropped the boxes. Inuyasha opened them and immediately coughed, slamming the box shut again. "They're filled with miasma. That's not Kagome," he snapped, throwing the boxes out an open window.

'Kagome's' face twisted into an evil smirk, her blue eyes becoming a deep, crimson red. "I see…I knew you would see me, as you both know of me now…" her voice shuddered and hissed at the same time.

Miroku jumped to his feet, hand going to his Wind Tunnel while Inuyasha reached for his Tetsusaiga. "Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha snapped.

'Kagome' laughed, Kagome's normal laugh mixing with a deeper one. "You may call me Kakushi*, the one that hides anything and everything. I knew that you would be here, _Inu-kun_," it continued, changing forms suddenly as it used one of Kikyo's nicknames for the half-demon.

"When I get my hands on you, damn it," Inuyasha snarled, raising his sword furiously, a look of intense rage on his face. "You're so dead."

"Yo! Miroku, we got your text…message…" Sango trailed off after announcing her and Rin's return as she stepped in the door to find the beginning of a battle…or just Inuyasha wielding his sword and Miroku ready to open his sword. "What's going on, guys? Who are you looking at?"

_That's right! They don't know about this Kakushi!_ Miroku narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to warn them, but Inuyasha beat him to it.

"Damn it, there's that bastard that attacked Kagome here!" He announced.

And Kakushi became known to the two women.

"Well, hello," he grinned, 'Kagome's' face becoming -to their shock and Inuyasha's insane fury- Kikyo's. In her tone, he said, "You may call me Kakushi and may I say…" he then became Miroku, causing Miroku to get just as pissed off as his best friend. "…that you are a beautiful young woman, Sango-Chan?"

Sango's eyes widened in shock as she unsoldered Hiraikotsu. Then she spat with disgust. "Don't call me that!"

Rin frowned. "Should I call Sesshomaru again? He won't be very happy after last time, but he'll come…"

"We can handle this damn fool," Inuyasha snorted, darting forward with his sword.

Rin anxiously bit her lip when Sango joined in.

But the man simply avoided their attacks, changing into a man that none of them knew. "You are quite fast, Miroku, Sango, but you are not quite fast enough. You are mere mortals, are you not?" Miroku yelped as something slashed across his cheek while something else entirely sent Sango's weapon back at her. She flew across the room with a grunt of surprise. Rin rushed over to help her, her russet eyes frantic. "Sango!"

"Call the damn bastard," Inuyasha roared with a growl. He hated asking his half-brother for help, but he needed it at the moment.

Rin pulled out her phone and quickly dialed the number. "Sesshomaru?" she asked over the sudden roar of a Wind Scar. "Could you please come to Kagome's?" She raised her voice higher. "We seem to have a problem…"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

The first thing Kagome noticed when she stepped into her house was the fact that the entire back left corner of it -including her living room and kitchen- were destroyed. Then she noticed Rin kneeling over Sango. And the last thing she noticed: the obvious sounds of fighting in the back yard. "What the _hell_ happened?" She snapped to Rin irritably, more upset about her house then worried about the fighting.

"Kagome!" Rin sighed in relief. "You're here!" Then her gaze darkened. "That man who attacked you last night came in your form, Kagome. And then he attacked! The men are fighting out back…"

Kagome gave a nod and quickly shot towards the wall that had been destroyed, snatching a fan for decoration as she did so. Her spiritual powers cackled up and she smirked.

_Let's see you defend yourself against this…_

She swung the fan, sending blades of spiritual power at the unfamiliar man in the open.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

**:D I'm enjoying myself just scribbling in notebooks and reading, so sorry about slow updates ^_^ XD Anyhow, thoughts? **

*** Okay, so his name was originally Kakushitsu, but I thought Kakushi sounded better XD And Kakushitsu literally means 'the one that hides'.**


	22. Adding A Shard to the Collection

**A/N: Long time no see :D Thanks to reviewers, and disclaimers! Now enjoy this chapter while I go listen to some Inuyasha music…**

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Inuyasha leaped backwards with a growl of surprise to avoid Kagome's sudden spiritual attack. "Kagome!"

Kakushi hissed in surprise, taking on the form of a massive snake demon. "You…the one that Naraku instructed to slay…" Kagome narrowed her eyes, but smirked and fanned herself with the fan. "I see you're the one that attacked me last night, huh? You're pretty strong…considering you have the Jewel Shard in your throat…" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, grip tightening on Tetsusaiga. _So that's where it is…if she can distract him, I can get the Shard! _"Miroku! Go to Sango!" He growled to his friend.

Miroku took one look at his enraged friend, then nodded and ran towards the house…to get slammed into a tree that was in Kagome's backyard by the tail of Kakushi the snake demon.

"Miroku!" A strangled cry came from the now ruined wall of Kagome's house. Sango was looking out in anguish, leaning heavily on Hiraikotsu and Rin's shoulder. Her brown eyes glistened with tears at the sight of her fiancé getting slammed into a tree.

"Damn it, Rin, where's Sesshomaru?!" Inuyasha yelled, swinging his sword and letting loose -to everyone's but his surprise- a storm of adamant shards at the demon.

"He's on his way!" Rin called back, russet eyes dark with anger towards the demon.

Kagome took one look at her friend's anguished face and snapped. Taking a deep breath, she -very quietly- said, "Inuyasha, take Miroku to Sango."

Inuyasha growled. "What the hell are you talking about, wench?"

"Do it."

Inuyasha winced at the look of intense fury in her eyes and nodded, frowning in confusion. _What is she…_ the minute he was next to Miroku, his eyes widened.

Every demon up to ten miles away must have been able to sense the incredible amount of spiritual powers she sent up. Pink light suddenly flared violently about her, her hair whipping around with the pink flames. Her brown eyes were tinted pink as well, her hands glowing. She flicked the fan open again, lazily waving it so that it looked like she was merely fanning herself. "You messed with the wrong people, Kakushi." Kakushi reared above her and Inuyasha fought the urge to leap in front of her and defend Kagome from the demon. _"Oh?"_ With a smirk as he twisted and shrank, Inuyasha -or Kakushi- stepped out of the small miasma that had erupted from the transformation. "Have I?" He asked in Inuyasha's voice.

Kagome bit her lip, fighting the urge to almost panic as her powers flickered. _I can't have an emotional ties right now… or my powers will fail…_ Calmly, she called, "Inuyasha, stay near Miroku." When she heard Inuyasha's growl, she raised the fan, then threw it down without releasing it, letting loose a massive strike with her powers.

Inuyasha's eyes widened with shock as a wave of power hit him, instantly purifying the demon blood in him. He became human and the Tetsusaiga became a rusty katana. "Damn it, Kagome!" He snarled, grabbing Miroku and hauling the injured man up with him.

Kagome didn't pay attention to Inuyasha, watching intently as the slashes shot towards Kakushi. Kakushi's form had become human with Inuyasha's, and she winced as one of the spiritual blades ran through his arm.

"You bitch," Kakushi hissed, Inuyasha's dark gaze, glowing with fury. He lunged forwards; easily avoiding Kagome's other attacks.

"Hiraikotsu!"

Sango's weapon flew through the air, causing Kakushi to jump backwards just as he was about to slice at Kagome with a dagger that had appeared in his hand. He made a hissing noise, Inuyasha's dark eyes narrowing even more. "Wench!"

Kagome took the chance to attack as well, wincing as she heard the Hiraikotsu recoil and hit the side of her house. She flicked the fan in a complicated series of moves, sending multiple purifying attacks at Kakushi. "Get the hell out of here, you bastard!" "She sounds like you, Inuyasha," Miroku joked weakly, stumbling beside his friend as Inuyasha began to haul him over to Sango and Rin.

"Yeah, yeah," the human Inuyasha muttered, wincing as Rin gasped.

Kagome winced as something hit the side of her cheek, but ignored it, instead attacking once more. _We can't seem to land a hit on him…_

"Look out!" Rin suddenly cried, her eyes full of relief.

Kagome jumped backwards as Sesshomaru suddenly took her place, a sword unsheathed and being blocked by a dagger.

Kakushi tilted his head, shrinking into Rin. "Sesshomaru-Sama, I see you've come to join the party, huh?" Sesshomaru snarled, his eyes narrowing furiously as he pushed the _youkai_ back, his fangs bared in a snarl.

"Ugh!" Rin shook her head in disgust, hiding behind Sango. "He took my form now! Yuck!"

Despite the situation, Sango laughed.

Kagome's powers flared again and she lunged forward as Sesshomaru backed down for a moment before jumping in again.

…and then Kagome's fan went up in flames.

Kagome cursed, dropping the fan and darting past her friends, back into the house.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha snapped, following after her with his black hair flowing behind him. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Getting another weapon." Kagome hissed back, looking around desperately. Her gaze locked on a common kitchen knife and she snatched it up, running back towards the outside. Then she stopped and turned to Inuyasha. "Can you get Sango and Miroku and Rin out of here, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha let out what sounded like a growl. "What about you?" He challenged.

"Sesshomaru will help me," Kagome said calmly. She reached up and gently touched Inuyasha's cheek, smiling. "I'll be fine. Get them to your place, and then come back if you're half-demon again by then, okay?" She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, then turned and darted back towards the fighting.

Inuyasha pursed his lips, but went over to their friends. "Oi. Rin, help Sango to my car. I'll get 'Roku. We're getting you guy's out of here."

**~~OO~~II~OO~~**

Kagome sighed in relief when her friend's were out of the way, and then yelled to Sesshomaru, "Get him away from my house before it gets any more ruined!"

Sesshomaru shot her a strange look and she shrugged, lashing out with her knife at the demon. "What? I don't want my house ruined."

Sesshomaru just nodded and then growled as the demon became none other than the great Inutaisho. "Damn demon…"

"Sesshomaru, you wouldn't attack Inutaisho, would you?" 'Inutaisho' taunted.

"Oh shut up!" Kagome snapped, raising her arm and flinging the knife with all of her strength. To her surprise, it hit the demon straight in the chest. Her eyes widened.

The demon turned on her, changing into a massive wolf. "May I repeat myself? You _bitch_!" It thundered, lunging for Kagome.

Kagome ducked to avoid the first paw that slammed down, then twisted to avoid the next. She flinched as a claw raked her arm, but jumped and yanked her knife from its chest. She scrambled backwards, out from under it. The wound left by her knife suddenly spread as she concentrated on her powers and Kagome smirked.

Sesshomaru grunted as a paw slammed him aside, but otherwise set down easily. "This Sesshomaru does not approve of getting involved with minor demon attacks."

Kagome shot him a dirty look. "Yeah, well neither do I. But get over it. It has a Jewel Shard in its throat, and it's with Naraku, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru contemplated this for a moment, then shot forward, slicing at the demon's neck. "Then I will take out the Shard and destroy it."

"You do that," Kagome said sarcastically. _Hurry back, Inuyasha…_

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Inuyasha dumped Miroku on the couch, and then turned to face Rin. "You take care of them, then go pick up Shippo. I need to get back to Sesshomaru and Kagome." As he spoke, black hair faded into silver and gold bled into his dark eyes.

Rin nodded, her gaze dark. "Inuyasha, please. You and Sesshomaru and Kagome be careful. "I don't think me or Sango or Kagome's brother could take any more losses."

"We will," Inuyasha reassured, starting towards the door again. "If anything happens, call Sesshomaru or me. You know the bastard will answer."

"Don't call him that," Rin protested, but then nodded. "Be careful." "I told you. We'll be fine," Inuyasha scoffed. He looked thoughtfully at a bow and some arrows, and then snatched them up. Then he ducked into the outside and darted to his car.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Oh, damn!" Kagome cursed, flinging the now broken kitchen knife into a bush. "It broke it!" She went running back inside, about ready to wail with despair. _That was my last knife and there's nothing else…_ "Oof!" She gasped in surprise as she ran into none other than Inuyasha. "Inuyasha! You're back!"

The half-demon grinned. "Huh. Maybe. Maybe not." Sesshomaru appeared at Kagome's side with a growl. "Inuyasha has not returned yet, woman."

Kagome cursed wildly again, turning and running the other way while looking for a weapon. She was forced to settle for a fairly large metal spoon. "Damn it!" She cursed, pushing her powers into the spoon and then throwing it at 'Inuyasha'. She winced as his voice yelped in surprise and pain.

Sesshomaru darted past her, his sword raised…only to follow him back outside.

Kagome rubbed her temples. Her head felt like it was going to split open and she was exhausted. _If I keep fighting with my powers, I'll pass out in the middle of the battle._

"Kagome!"

Kagome lifted her face, becoming wary when she found Inuyasha in front of her again. "Please tell me you are the real Inuyasha."

The silver haired half-demon shot her a strange look. "Why the hell wouldn't I be? Sit me if you want proof…here." He tossed the young woman a bow and arrows. "Thought you could use it." Kagome's face lit up in a bright grin and she quickly kissed his cheek. "Come on, let's go and kick that damn demon's ass!" She announced, dragging Inuyasha out of the house by one of his ears.

Inuyasha yelped and swatted her hand away before unsheathing Tetsusaiga and tilting his head to look up at a bear demon. "This guy can't choose one form, can he?" "Stop standing around or this Sesshomaru will slay you as well, half-breed," Sesshomaru demanded before attacking again.

Kagome didn't move, frowning in concentration. "Inuyasha, watch." She said suddenly as the demon began to shift again. In the middle of a small cloud of miasma, the light of the shard gleamed brightly next to a mound of flesh. "He's vulnerable when he's like that I bet."

Inuyasha nodded, and then raised his sword. It flickered for a moment, and then became black. Stars and such swirled in the blade. "_Meido Zangetsuha!_" He sudden cried, slashing with his sword. Blades of black energy flew through it, cutting through parts of the demon. Those parts vanished.

"The attack that takes you to Hell," Kagome heard Sesshomaru say smugly.

"Be careful, Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked as one of them skimmed the side of the demon's face. "The Jewel Shard!" "I know that," Inuyasha replied hotly. "I don't plan on sucking that thing up into Hell!"

Their chance appeared.

Kakushi began to transform into something smaller.

"Now!" Kagome cried, firing the arrow she had knocked. Inuyasha nodded and flew forwards, releasing a Wind Scar. Sesshomaru simply slashed with his Bakusaiga.

The Jewel Shard hit the ground, and Kakushi let out a curse as he began to dissolve away…and then some of him shot towards Inuyasha. He grunted as it sent him flying backwards, but the part of Kakushi vanished.

Kagome scrambled over, dropping the bow and arrows. "Inuyasha!" She gasped, kneeling over him.

Inuyasha sat up with a grunt. "I'm fine, wench." He muttered, rubbing a small scorch mark on his chest. "Is he gone?"

"Yeah," Kagome said, though she frowned. "But he was destroyed way too easily."

Sesshomaru appeared, dropping the Shard in front of them. "Here. This Sesshomaru is going to check on Rin." "She was fine when I saw her," Inuyasha told him, his arms going around Kagome as she hugged him and buried her face in his neck.

"Hn." Sesshomaru nodded, then turned and walked off.

Kagome suddenly released the half-demon, her hand moving to the Shard. The instant she touched it, it was purified. "There. Another shard for our collection." Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head. "We just killed a demon, you're house is ruined, you're hurt, and you're adding that to our collection. Definitely earned that shard, didn't you."

Kagome grimaced at the mention of her house. "My poor house…" she said with a slight pout, and then stood up. "Come on. Let's go check out the damage…"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome rubbed her temples as she stepped into the mansion with a duffle bag on her shoulder. Her house was going to take weeks to get fixed, so she was staying with the others now. "Damn it all." "Someone's in a bad mood," Rin teased when she saw her. "What happened?"

"My house is ruined, my best friend's hurt, my boy friend has been burned, and my arm hurts like hell," Kagome said irritably. "You tell me."

Rin chuckled, shaking her head before gently leading Kagome up the massive stairs. "You can have the last spare bedroom."

"What happened to the others?" Inuyasha asked, following after the two. Rin grimaced. "Err, we'll just say that Jaken's here."

Inuyasha groaned. "What the hell is that little imp doing here? Please tell me he didn't bring his whole little army of imps."

"That's why the rooms are full," Rin replied in a squeak. "Apparently that miasma Miroku said you dumped out the window hit where they were camping out."

Kagome stalked past them all, past the guest rooms, and stormed into Inuyasha's own bedroom. Rin looked after her with surprise. "Never mind about the guest room…guess she's staying with you."

Inuyasha's golden eyes glowed as he smirked. "Works for me."

Nobody was able to see the glazed over red that flashed over his eyes before turning back into gold.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

**A/N: It's short, but my fingers hurt from typing XD what did you all think? Oh, and I have this poll up ((me and polls .)) that I really want you people to vote on. I've been considering making some novel companions to the Inuyasha anime and movies, but I need to know which ones people would read, as well as if I should or not. So if you could just go to my profile and vote…please? :3**


	23. Ambush: Part I

**A/N: I need to update though I have no more muse! :D So here is the next chapter to The Secret War! Disclaimers and thanks to my precious reviewers! **

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome grumbled to herself as she shoved her duffle bag into a corner and went into the massive bathroom connected to Inuyasha's bedroom. The minute she stepped in, her eyes widened in shock and she gaped at what she saw. She had known that her boyfriend was rich. She had known that he lived in a mansion with the most high tech equipment and such. And she should have known that in his bathroom would be…

…a Jacuzzi.

Her exhausted face broke into a grin and she high tailed it out of the bathroom and back into Inuyasha's room. "Hey, Yash?" She called, looking around the room for him. She found him flopped down on his bed, peering at her curiously. "Can I use your Jacuzzi?" She asked eagerly. "Please?"

Inuyasha snorted, waving her off with a lazy clawed hand. "Do whatever you want."

Kagome's face lit up in a bright smile and she darted over to her duffle bag. She removed a pair of her favorite comfy shorts, as well as a tank top and some undergarments before scrambling back into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Inuyasha watched her, eyes full of amusement as, once again without being noticed, his eyes flashed red and went back to normal.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

After taking a fairly soothing bath in the Jacuzzi, Kagome returned in her comfy clothes, smiling brightly as she went over and lay on the bed beside Inuyasha. Five seconds later, Rin burst in. "Come _on_, you two! Inuyasha, you know its game night!" She squealed, eyes sparkling. "Besides, Shippo's about ready to burst with excitement over the fact that he thinks Kagome is the only one that can finally beat you at Monopoly!"

Kagome cocked an eyebrow, Inuyasha's arm wrapped around her shoulder. "You mean to say that he has never once defeated you at Monopoly?" Rin shook her head. "He's the champion," she complained. "We own the championship edition, and his name has been on that damn trophy…" She paused to count. "…the twenty something times we've played it. Even Sesshomaru can't beat him."

Kagome climbed out of the bed, a grinning Inuyasha behind her. "Come on then, let's see if I can finally defeat that unbeatable Inuyasha!"

Rin led the way down the stairs and into the dining room, where the said Monopoly game was set up with Kagome's friend's around it. She couldn't help but smile. Sesshomaru was waiting patiently for his mate to sit next to him, shooting irritated glances at the game board. Sango managed to fend off Miroku's hand as she counted her fake money, and Shippo was grinning broadly up at Kagome and Inuyasha as both sat down. Sesshomaru counted out the necessary money, handed it over as well as their little papers to keep track of their properties, and the battle to win the board game began.

"Damn it!" Sango cursed after a while of playing as she landed on one of Inuyasha's properties -that had been built up beyond belief. "How the hell am I supposed to pay the guy that much!?"

Shippo, who had somehow become unbelievably rich during the game, said, "We could work together, Sango."

Sango gave the little demon boy a sweet smile. "Sure. Thanks, Shippo. Now bring your stuff over here."

Shippo scrambled over to Sango with his properties paper, pencil, and money, as well as the deeds for his properties. In Sango's lap, they began putting their stuff together, then handed Inuyasha the one thousand four hundred dollars they owed…still somehow managing to keep another six hundred in the process.

Inuyasha smirked, taking the money with a smug "thank you" before taking his turn…and landing on Kagome's best property. Grumbling, the half-demon handed over the money from Shippo and a bit more to Kagome, who smiled brightly at him and took her turn.

A few rounds later, Rin had been taken out of the game and was relaxing with Miroku, who had also lost, in her seat at the table, watching the game continue. Shippo and Sango were almost done for, but Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Kagome were absolutely rich. Each had well over three thousand dollars in Monopoly money, and was easily buying up Shippo and Sango's properties. Luck hit Kagome when Sesshomaru landed on three of her properties in a row and was forced to give up all the money he had, forcing him out of the game as well as Sango and Shippo. Now it was just Inuyasha and Kagome, who was giving Inuyasha a run for his money -literally, as the winner got ten dollars from everyone in the room except for Shippo.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha cursed; practically throwing the money he owed Kagome at her.

Kagome gave a triumphant grin, counting the money before proudly stacking it. "What's wrong, Yash?" She teased. "Never been defeated?"

"I'm not defeated yet," the half-demon hissed back as Kagome rolled the dice -and got to grab another fifty bucks. He rolled the dice, and ended up giving the rest of his money to Kagome.

Sango and Shippo leaped to their feet and cheered with Rin, who began dancing. "You defeated the who knows how many time champion!" Miroku cheered, but then sobered and dug ten dollars out of his pocket, handing it over to Kagome.

**~~A/N: -_- I had the chapter finished and then I accidentally hit a key and deleted after this point -and it wouldn't let me recover it! ;-;~**

Kagome smirked as she collected her money, kissing Inuyasha's cheek as she took some from him. Then she gave a bow, laughing as she did so. "It's a miracle!"

Everyone began chatting and enjoying themselves with desired companions…when Shippo burst into tears and let out a wail.

Kagome rushed over, scooping up the fox demon. "Shippo?! What's wrong?!"

Shippo sniffled, burying his face in Kagome's neck. "I…I miss Auntie Izayoi and Uncle…Uncle Taisho! They used to play with us all the time!"

Everyone became silent, watching with saddened eyes as Kagome soothed Shippo, carrying him up the stairs and towards his large bedroom. "Shh…" she murmured, kissing his head. "I know you miss them, Shippo. We do, too. But that's not going to bring them back, okay? They want you to be happy, I'm sure they do."

Shippo whimpered, scrubbing his tears away. "Will we get to see them again?" Kagome swallowed. "Eventually, Shippo…"

_I just hope not anytime soon…_

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

When Kagome woke up the next morning, half smothered by Inuyasha, she had a feeling that it was _not_ going to be a good day. Grumpily, she gave him a sharp zap of her purifying powers to wake him up and get him off of her before grabbing some clothes from her bag and stalking into the bathroom to take another bath, change, and get ready for her job. She huffed after coming out, passing a still dazed looking Inuyasha and muttering, "I'll see you later, Yash."

She stormed down the stairs, and into the kitchen…to find imps _everywhere_. Kagome hated the imps. They kind of scared her with their big eyes and toad-like qualities so when one shot through her legs -getting a good look up the skirt she had put on- she squealed and high-tailed it out of the kitchen with an apple clenched in a fist. She ran into Sango's guest room and gasped for breath, startling the woman out of her sleep. "Sango," Kagome whined. "Why are they still _here_?!" Sango laughed, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "You mean the imps?" Kagome nodded and she sighed. "They're here because Inuyasha dumped miasma out of your window, remember?"

"Yes, but why are they still here?" Kagome repeated. "Can't they move out now? They're disgusting!"

Sango chuckled. "The imps believe that Inuyasha owe them a favor. And when that happens, they stay near the said person until their favor is over."

Kagome groaned and flopped down beside her on the bed. "Inuyasha better hurry up and give them their favor, or I'll kick him out of his own home -along with the imps."

Sango smiled. "And he'd kick your ass for doing that. Now, don't you have to go to work?" Kagome cursed and shot from the room.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome glanced up at the intercom as it said, _"Higurashi-San? Someone is here to see you. He says you know him well and must see you urgently."_

Kagome knew that her students hated it when she used her miko powers in the room, but she felt it necessary when she was told someone came to see her. Nobody came to see her when she was working.

She frowned as her spiritual powers hit a demonic energy -not one of her students. And it was strong, along with other energies around the school.

"Tell them I'll be there momentarily." Kagome snipped back.

It appeared her bad feeling had been right. Today would be a terrible day.

The intercom clicked and Kagome said quickly, "All of you. Hide in the back closet and turn on those electronic smokers." The demon and half-demon children groaned, already covering their noses. "There are demons here to kill everyone," Kagome sighed -and sent the kids running for the closet.

Kagome whipped out her smart phone and typed in Sango's number as fast as she could. "Hey, Sango? Are you helping everyone make breakfast for the imps?" "Yes," Sango's voice huffed on the other end. "What do you need? And INUYASHA! JUST BECAUSE YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S ON THE PHONE DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN EAT THE FOOD WE'RE MAKING, DAMN IT!"

Kagome chuckled despite what was going on. "Look, Sango, I need you to-"

There was a screech and then glass exploded. Kagome gasped and ducked, dropping her phone as she covered her face with her arms when a glass shard embedded itself in her cheek. Blood hit the floor and she could hear the children screaming.

"Kagome?!" Sango's alarmed voice came from the other end of the phone. "Kagome!? Are you okay?! What's going on?! Kagome! Answer me, damn it!"

Kagome scrambled for her phone, also reaching for the small dagger she carried in her bag. You can't be too careful when you're in the middle of a war! "I…I'm fine," she gasped, her hand holding onto her cheek. Her cheek felt as if it was on fire.

"What the hell's going on?" She heard Inuyasha's voice snarl in the background as Sango said, "What's going on?"

"Just bring your weapons and get everyone to the school, damn it," Kagome hissed then dropped the phone and jumped away to avoid being smashed as a massive demon reared over her.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Sango clicked the 'end' button on her phone and stashed it in her bag. "Weapons! Car!" She commanded, and then paused. "On second thought, grab that bus you have for no reason!" Then she waded into the sea of imps and yelled, "JAKEN! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!"

Inuyasha growled, watching after her as Miroku demanded, "What the hell is going on?" "Kagome's in trouble!" Sango yelled back, and then said, "I SWEAR TO FUCKING KAMI, IF YOU'RE NOT OVER HERE IN TWO SECONDS YOU LITTLE IMP I WILL LET KIRARA TEAR YOUR DAMN HEAD OFF!"

Kirara gave a hopeful purr.

An imp came scurrying over, shrieking, "I'm here, I'm here!"

"Get your army in the bus!" Sango hissed as the said bus pulled up outside the kitchen window. "We've got a battle to attend."

Jaken nodded and screeched, "FRIENDS! TO THE BUS!"

Immediately, the imps began to stream out of the mansion and into the bus, squawking and screeching at each other.

"I'll drive the bus," Rin announced, pecking Sesshomaru on the cheek before disappearing outside. Sesshomaru growled slightly after her.

"Sesshomaru, I hate asking you this, but you're faster then a damn car so could you…?" Sango asked, scooping up Kirara and Hiraikotsu.

Sesshomaru shot her a dirty look but nodded. "I will change forms outside."

"Then outside we go!" Sango announced, darting outside.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome gasped as she stood protectively in front of the door that separated the students from the demons in front of her, blood dripping from multiple wounds on her. Sirens could be heard from outside, but nobody was brave enough to come help.

_Selfish bastards,_ Kagome thought.

The demon reared up and Kagome narrowed her eyes, raising her hand with the dagger in it.

Then a small screeching noise came. It started softly, confusing both Kagome and the demon. And then it became louder, like a wail.

And then dozens of imps leaked into the room, raising spears and chains with a shrill cry.

Kagome couldn't help it: she burst into hysterical laughter as the imps easily brought down the demon, followed by a familiar boomerang crashing through the wall. Sango had come through. "Sango!"

Sango appeared with a smirk, sitting onto of a large Kirara in the hold in the wall. "Glad to see you're safe. Are the children alright…?"

Kagome nodded, lowering her dagger. "What about Shippo?"

"Shippo's fine, Rin got him and herself out of here." Sango replied. "And half a dozen other kids that weren't dead. The teachers are gone though."

Kagome's eyes softened with sorrow. "They were good teachers." Sango snorted. "Damn, Kagome, they tried to kill Inuyasha when he got here! But he's vanished…"

Kagome frowned then said, "Kirara needs to get my students out of here. To the adults outside."

Sango slipped off of Kirara. "Got it. Kirara!"

Kirara purred and stepped forward.

Kagome opened the closet door, soothing the fifteen sobbing children. "Listen, it's just Higurashi-San, right? Now, I have a friend right here who's going to help you get out. Kirara's a demon, but she's a good demon. I want you to come out, one at a time when I call you and she'll fly you out, kay?"

The kids gave shaky nods and Kagome set to work.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Inuyasha snarled, throwing another Wind Scar at a demon that was I his way. He wasn't stupid. He could smell Kagome's blood through all the blood that was there. "Damn it all!" he cursed, swinging his sword again.

"Sango found her!"

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder to see Miroku running towards him. "She's safe?"

Miroku nodded. "She's injured pretty bad, but she's safe. She's helping Sango clear out children and kill demons. The imps are helping, too."

"Good," Inuyasha grunted, relieved.

His head gave a massive flash of pain around the same time a demon managed to leave a nice gash in his back.

Inuyasha's hand released Tetsusaiga as he fell to his knees, growling.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku exclaimed, horrified at the injury on his life-long friend.

Inuyasha raised his head with a heart-stopping growl…

…his eyes red.

**A/N: So that puts an end to this chapter :3 I like it quite more then the original one before half of it was deleted. By the way, to any people who voted on my poll, the Novel Companion to Inuyasha is up! :3 Now I'm going to go spend a few hours snuggling with my dog and moping that tomorrow's the first day of school…**


	24. Ambush: Part II

**A/N: Ello again ^_^ Disclaims and guess what? I've decided there will most likely end up being a sequel for this story :D**

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

_Slam!_

The breath left Kagome's body as she hit the wall and then slid to the floor, a shard of glass slicing deeply into her leg. Blood began to gush from the wound, leaking over the floor as she gasped for breath. "Sango!" She rasped, scrambling out of the way as the demon slammed its tail at her.

Instead of Sango, she got a just as welcome reply.

"_Wind Tunnel!"_

"Thanks, Miroku!" Kagome yelled, smiling with relief at the said man that stood before her.

Miroku nodded, but then said, "Kagome, I need you to stay with me or Sango at all times. Even Sesshomaru. Stay away from Inuyasha."

Kagome frowned, eyes confused. "Why?"

A wail caught their attention and more glass shattered, raining down. Kagome and Miroku dove beneath some desks. "What the hell is that?!" Miroku yelled.

"Some kind of demon!" Kagome yelled back, hands shoved over her ears to block out the sound. "Where's Inuyasha!?" She glanced over at Miroku, waiting for his answer despite the demons. Miroku's gaze darkened and Kagome's eyes traveled to four gashes in his arm. Her eyes widened. "He…?"

Miroku took a breath, coming out from under the desk. "He's full demon, Kagome. And he's not going to stop if he kills you. He's killing everything…I barely got away thanks to Sesshomaru, who distracted him. You need to stay away. He'd be heartbroken if he hurt you while he was full demon."

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Red.

That's the only thing he could see as he raked his claws through everything in his path. His senses locked solely on one scent, the cause of the trouble.

He snarled, a flash of silver as he darted through halls, barely noticing as he was covered in his victims' blood, whether it be children or adult, human or demon or even half. Slicing his claws through another demon, his sensitive ears flicked back at the sound of a scream.

He stopped, frowning. Who would scream? He wasn't attacking them -yet, of course, he would go after that noisy person as soon as his target was dead.

A man's yell came quickly after and his gaze darkened in anger. They were disrupting his concentration! He veered off course when the man gave a certain name.

Naraku.

He knew in an instant that that was the person he was looking for, the person that had caused his blood to boil over, the one that had caused the voice in his head, telling him to slay everyone…

Wait.

He stopped to think. Didn't he want to kill everyone? Everything that distracted him? He became confused. He didn't. Why not?

Another scream caught his attention and his lip curled into a smirk at the agony in it.

He heard another name from the two, and recognized it instantly: Inuyasha, his own name.

He frowned. They knew him?

Time to find out…

He took off at a run.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome let out an agonized scream as she was thrown into a pile of glass, blood hitting the ground.

"Kagome!" Miroku gasped, darting towards her. "Damn it!" He cursed, opening his Wind Tunnel and sucking the demon in.

Kagome could see blackness at the edges of her vision and she gave a soft whimper, her back, legs, and arms in unbelievable pain.

"Stay awake, Kagome," Miroku snapped, carefully removing her from the pile of glass.

Kagome flailed at the burning of someone touching an open wound. "Ouch, damn it, let go, let go, LET GO!"

Miroku set her down on her feet and she said shakily, "I don't care if he's full demon, Miroku, I need to make sure he's okay!"

Miroku shook his head. "No, Kagome, don't-"

Too late. Kagome cried out, "INUYASHA!"

Miroku slapped his hand over her mouth. "Are you crazy?! He'll kill us both!"

"Where's Sango?" Kagome demanded, swaying slightly. "And Kirara? Are they okay? We need to get out of here and into the open."

Miroku nodded. "Yes. And Sango and Kirara are outside, keeping the survivors safe with Sesshomaru. You, me, and Inuyasha are all that's left inside."

"Well get out the window," Kagome instructed, pointing at the shattered windows that were letting in fresh air. "I'm not leaving without Inuyasha."

Miroku looked at Kagome, knowing she wasn't leaving. Her face was pale from blood loss; blood still leaking from all over her while some shards of glass penetrated her skin still. Her eyes were full of pain, and not just from her wounds: she blamed herself for this mess.

Miroku shook his head. "I'll stay with you, Kagome. You've probably saved Sango in multiple situations, and I owe Inuyasha. Might as well keep you safe for him." He said, giving a crooked grin.

Kagome smiled slightly. "Thanks, Miroku. Let's go find Inu- oof!"

She was cut off as she was shoved out of the way by Miroku when there was a sudden streak of silver.

A desk _shattered_, like glass.

Miroku cursed and snapped, "Kagome! Go!"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Inuyasha shot into the room, shattering a desk in the process. He was about to slash through the male when a name caught his attention: Kagome. He stopped, eyes narrowed and ears twitching.

And then his lips were forced into a grin as he rasped, tone clipped because of his fangs, "Not…going any…where." Miroku threw himself defensively in front of Kagome, standing in front of her. "Kagome, the windows!"

Inuyasha snarled warningly as Kagome began edging towards the windows with Miroku, eyes following them.

Then he smelled it: gasoline.

His eyes darkened, instincts telling him to flee though the voice told him to stay, to slay the two before him.

_At least kill the woman and take her shards…_ it purred. _For Naraku…_

Naraku…

Inuyasha growled, ears flattening against his head. His body recognized the woman as his female companion, though she had yet to be his mate and wife. The man beside her he recognized as well, as a close friend. He couldn't remember their names, but he could remember their titles. He snarled, baring his fangs. _Like hell!_

The voice hissed in irritation, causing pain to rack against his head.

The half-demon gave a slight groan of pain, staggering as his eyes darkened to a crimson red instead of blood red.

The girl before him whimpered his name and Inuyasha stiffened.

"Kagome, we need to leave," the man beside her hissed, noticing the change of his eyes. "Something's wrong with him, not just him being full demon."

Inuyasha snarled, advancing towards them with a growl.

Kagome squeaked and hid behind Miroku, heart pounding. "But we can't just leave him!"

"Inuyasha's a half-demon…well, err, demon right now, but you know what I mean. He can protect himself, Kagome," Miroku told her, gently shoving her towards the shattered windows. "Get out of here. I'll keep him distracted."

Kagome shot Inuyasha a worried look, then nodded before shooting towards the window.

Inuyasha immediately pounced, but found himself tackled by an -annoying- man, eyes determined. Inuyasha snarled, quickly slashing at him with his claws, but missed, barely nicking the man's cheek.

Miroku yelped when Inuyasha suddenly threw him across the room. He pounced for Kagome, who was scrambling for the windows.

_KILL HER!_ The voice shrieked, sounding terrified that she would escape.

Inuyasha became confused. Why did he have to kill her? Why was she so important?

The voice snarled. Inuyasha copied, crouching to pounce at Kagome…only to be tackled again by the man. Inuyasha cursed, whirling towards the man and raking his claws through the air as the woman managed to climb out the windows.

Miroku cursed as the claws caught his arm, blood splattering the ground.

"Miroku!" Kagome yelled. "Come on! We need to- eek!" She broke off with a shriek, turning and hightailing it around a corner as Inuyasha lunged for her, claws flashing.

Inuyasha growled in frustration. He had missed! His eyes narrowed as the woman gave off unintentional spiritual powers, lightly zapping him. No wonder. She was a miko.

Inuyasha snarled again, flashing his claws at her head.

Kagome shrieked and ducked, hurling into the playground -where her car still sat. _Damn! I hope Miroku's okay!_ She opened the car as fast as she could, aware that Inuyasha was feet away. Jumping in, she slammed it shut just as Inuyasha slammed into the side of her car.

Inuyasha growled, cracking his knuckles as he prepared to tear into the car, and then hesitated.

The look of intense fear and worry was on the woman's face. Normally, he would have just sliced through her. But the fear especially got to him. Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull.

_Kill her now,_ the voice commanded.

Inuyasha raised a clawed hand, then froze when he saw love fill into the woman's eyes. He stared at her, confused. She loved him…and he was trying to kill her…

Inuyasha snarled and forced himself to back away, gripping his head and digging his claws into it as a flash of pain hit him. Blood streamed down his arms as he growled, then turned and darted into the building.

Kagome scrambled out of her car, confused. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard her name being called to see Miroku and Sango, looking relieved.

Miroku skidded to a halt at her side, looking horrified when he saw the dent in her car. "Inuyasha…?" Kagome nodded as Sango hugged her carefully. "He attacked…but then he ran off into the building…"

Sango frowned. "Do you guys hear that?"

There was a sound like a shrill whistling, followed by psychotic laughter that sounded like Naraku…

…and then the building exploded.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

**A/N: It's so short… ;-; I apologize. Forgive me. But I thought this was a good place to stop. Next chapter will definitely be longer :3 Review please!**


	25. Grief

**A/N: Thanks to any reviewers, disclaimers, etc. :3 Now enjoy this story! :D I plan on this one being longer…as this is the last chapter. -sighs- Where has the time flown? Now enjoy!**

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome stared in horror at the burning building, knees threatening to give way. "…no." She croaked, staggering closer. She ignored when a piece of flying debris singed her cheek. "No." She dropped to her knees, tears gathering and spilling down her cheeks.

Miroku and Sango appeared at her sides. "Kagome, its okay…" Sango murmured, gently comforting her friend.

"No, it's not," Kagome spat back, reeling away from her friends and glowering at them with such ferocity, that Sango flinched away into Miroku, who wrapped his arms around her. "My boyfriend just got killed because I came to work today!" She hissed, looking ready to kill someone. "You call that OKAY?!"

"Kagome!" A voice suddenly wailed. A moment later, Shippo had his arms around her neck, burying his face into her shoulder. "You're okay!" he sobbed, clutching at her. "I was so scared…that…you had left me, too! Where's Inuyasha?!"

Kagome's own tears began to gather as she buried her face in the fox kit's hair. They spilled down her face and she broke into sobs, large ones that racked through her body as she tried to stop them. "He's…" She choked out as the fox kit stiffened. "He's with Izayoi and Inutaisho."

Rin appeared in time to hear her words. Her face paled and she slumped heavily against Sesshomaru. "No…" she whispered. "He's not…he can't be…he wouldn't die on us. He's Inuyasha for Kami's sake!" But she had tears streaming down her face, russet eyes full of grief.

Miroku buried his face in his fiancé's hair, refusing to lift his head and show his own tears while Sango sniffled into his shirt.

Inuyasha…

…was dead.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Need anything else dear?" A nurse asked as she patted Kagome's bandaged arm.

Kagome shook her head, though she wanted to scream at the nurse and tell her to bring Inuyasha back. Her eyes were dull, lifeless, as she stared at the ceiling above her. Everyone had asked her if she was okay…but she wanted to know if her friends, her family, were okay. She needed to know.

Souta had heard about everything on the news -Kagome had yet to watch it and hear the story for herself- and had called, frantically yelling into Sango's cell phone for his older sister. Sango had almost gone psychotic, yelling back until Kagome herself had to snatch the phone away and say, "Hello, this is Kagome Higurashi. Can I help you? And if you're some reporter, get the hell off my friend's phone or you'll be seeing Sesshomaru sometime soon…"

That discussion had turned into Kagome comforting her brother that though she was alright, she had been injured.

After the explosion, ambulances had found them, as well as cops and other officials. They had been taken to the nearest hospital to be looked over. Kagome had arrived in an ambulance that had been wailing through the streets at high speed.

Into the surgery room for Kagome, as they had sedated her and set to work on removing glass and stitching wounds. Fifty three shards of glass and three hundred stitches later, Kagome was sitting in a hospital bed, staring dully out the window as she did now.

"Kagome?"

Kagome glanced over her shoulder in surprise to see the said brother there, a small wary smile on his face.

Kagome's eyes filled with tears and she gave a crooked smile. "Hey, Souta."

Souta grinned and moved to sit next to her. "I guess I should have dragged Amber back here to stay, huh? Then I could have stopped you from getting in so much trouble…I still can't figure out how you exploded a building, got in a car crash, and get attacked by more demons than any other person -all though I have to say I might blame Inuyasha for it all, as he is half-demon."

Kagome choked on sudden sobs, her body shaking as she tried to control herself. "Yeah, well no need for that anymore." She said, giving a wry and shaky smile. "He was still inside when the building exploded."

Souta's thoughtful look was replaced by one of sorrow. "Kags…"

Kagome waved him off. "It's fine. The police who came in said he would have died instantly. That made me feel a little better…to know that he wasn't forced to suffer through agonizing pain."

Souta gently ruffled his older sister's hair. "Enough about sad stuff…would you like to meet my fiancé?"

Kagome nodded, feeling a sting at the word 'fiancé'. "Of course."

Souta grinned. "I'll be right back." He ducked out of the room, and then returned a moment later with a young woman.

The woman was just a tiny bit shorter than her younger brother. She stood proudly; chin raised with a mischievous glint in orange eyes…cat eyes. Slim and obviously meant for speed, she also had fangs and claws. Black hair drifted down to her waist, and from them sprouted cat ears. "Yo."

Kagome recognized the woman's aura instantly and she gaped at her brother. Never, in the entirety that was her life, would she believe Souta would fall for a cat demon. Sure, they'd had a cat named Buyo growing up -a cat that the kid had adored. But…he usually was terrified of demons. This was completely unexpected! "Amber, this is my older sister, Kagome. Kagome, this is my fiancé, Amber." Souta introduced.

Kagome blinked at Amber. "You're a demon."

Amber roared with laughter, her fangs bared in a grin. "I noticed." She chuckled, an ear swiveling back. "So you're the famous Kagome that everyone's after, huh?"

Kagome smiled slightly. "Yep. That would be me." She said softly, rubbing the back of her head.

"The one who owned and broke Shikon no Tama…" Amber mused. "I heard you're looking for Shards again…?"

Kagome gave a slight nod. "Yeah…Inuyasha was helping me until…" she broke off, unable to continue.

Amber's gaze softened. "I'm sorry for your loss, Kagome. I can understand how you feel. In fact…here." She dug in a pocket, and then dropped something in Kagome's lap, glaring at it spitefully. "I heard my little cousin was killed for having that the other day."

Kagome stared in shock at the large Shard in her lap, eyes wide. "That is _huge_," she whispered. "This would attract _youkai_ for miles."

Amber gave a wry grin. "Exactly. You go ahead and keep it. My little brother had it when I came across it. No way in Hell is that happening. I heard you were collecting them from other demons and decided you might want to keep it for me."

Kagome gave a small smile and pulled out her small collection of Shards, gently tucking the large Shard into the bottle. "Thank you, Amber. Listen… could you keep Souta safe? He's all I have left to be alive for." she gave a crooked smile again. "I probably would've figured some way to kill myself by now if he wasn't alive."

Amber gave the said man, who was looking at them with confusion, a soft look. "Of course. I love Souta…no way is he dying on me."

Kagome gave a quiet thanks to Kami, that her last string to life would be safe.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Is it true?"

Kagome looked up from her small 'wheelie tray' as she called it, cocking an eyebrow. "Is what true, San?"

A few weeks ago, Kagome had been sent home from the hospital on strict orders that she remain in a wheel chair for up to nine weeks. All of her stitches were gone, though she was still healing from the wounds. She had continued to stay in the Takahashi Mansion, though she avoided Inuyasha's room at all costs. Nobody went close to it. It was an undecided law. It would ruin the hope that he would possibly return from the dead…though they all knew better.

"Is it true what Shippo said? Souta's fiancé is a cat _youkai_?" Sango repeated, smiling.

Kagome almost fell out of her wheel chair, sending some schedules to the ground. They were currently in the middle of planning _Sango_'s wedding, and she wanted to know about Souta's? "Err, she is…how does Shippo know?" She demanded.

"Shippo met her at the hospital," Sango explained, doodling on a piece of paper.

Kagome sighed. "Yeah, she's a cat demon…somehow I'm not surprised. I'm sure Kohaku would have freaked out, huh?"

Sango laughed, eyes filling with a bit of sadness. "Yeah, he would have. Him and Souta were like two peas in a pod…"

The two were overcome with sad memories, and then Sango said, "Okay, let's talk about the cake! Rin said she'd make it…"

"Let me think," Kagome said, pointing her pencil at her friend. "You want a large cake -as tall as Souta at least. But you don't want it so girlish. You could care less what it looks like, so long as it tastes amazing."

Sango burst out laughing, dropping her pencil. "You know me better than I do," she teased as she picked it back up.

"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" Kagome joked, tossing a small sketch of the cake at Sango. "What do you think?"

Sango gaped at the sketch. "…have you ever thought of becoming an artist?"

Kagome shot her a strange look. "Sango, we're planning your cake."

"I know, but look at this masterpiece," Sango said, holding the picture up to the light. "This is absolutely amazing."

Kagome snorted, chucking her pencil at Sango. "Yeah, right. Look at the cake, you damn procrastinator. Do you like it?"

Sango nodded, a smile on her face. "I love it!"

"Now, back to planning!" Kagome announced. "You're going dress shopping with me and Rin tomorrow, remember? You need to be prepared while Sesshy and Miroku-"

"What did you just call me?" A familiar cold voice called from the massive family room.

"Nothing, my Lord of Fluff!" Kagome yelled back, cracking into a grin.

Sango blinked in surprise. Kagome had been semi-depressed for the past few days; obviously not over the death of a certain half-demon…it had been obvious she would never recover. Now she was happy and smiling? What the hell! But when the woman looked into her friend's eyes, Sango realized she was wrong. Kagome was nowhere near happy and smiling. The girl's eyes were full of grief, sorrow, and heartbreak. The light had faded from Kagome's eyes, leaving an almost scary dead look.

She was pretending for her friends.

But Sango couldn't help but laugh when she heard Sesshomaru's disgusted snort from the other room.

She gave a sigh and quickly sent a prayer to Kami.

_Kami, if you are true and real, please accept my prayer. Kagome…she's suffered through so much. As a child, she was excluded from everyone. As a teenager, she was almost killed by a demon for having miko powers. As an adult…she's lost her mother and her brother's in America. I'm getting married and probably moving somewhere new with Miroku. Please. Bring Inuyasha back. She's all alone…and she doesn't deserve to be…_

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome sat in her wheelchair, staring at the large doors before her with tears building in her eyes. The room that was forbidden to anyone…

Inuyasha's room.

She gently touched the wooden doors, beautifully carved with scenes of dog demons fighting with others and the tears began to spill down her cheeks.

It had been six weeks…it was obvious he wasn't coming back.

She took a breath, and then opened the door, wheeling in carefully before softly closing the door behind her.

She needed to say goodbye, whether she wanted to or not.

Pain stabbed her heart as she gently ran her fingers over Inuyasha's bed. The covers he had slept in before the school had exploded. They were still rumpled in the exact position from when she had been lying on them with him.

Kagome choked on a sob. "Why?" She whispered, moving over to pick up a shirt that had fallen carelessly on the floor. She buried her face in it, tears soaking into the fabric as she breathed in his scent. "Why?" She repeated. "Why, Inuyasha! Why couldn't you stay with us? Why did you have to become a full demon! Why did you…why did you leave me?" She broke down, letting out sobs that echoed around the room.

"I'm so sorry for anything I ever did," she murmured, wiping away her tears after she got control of herself. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Taking a breath to calm herself, Kagome Higurashi looked one last time around the room before wheeling herself out of it.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"So…" Sango said softly, searching for words as she, Kagome, and Rin walked down the sidewalk. "Kagome, what are you going to do to earn money since you can't work as a teacher anymore and won't let Rin and Sesshomaru pay for anything?"

Kagome gave a dry laugh. "Perhaps this Ayame will be sympathetic and let me work for her. I'm pretty good at math, remember?"

"Not," Sango teased. "Maybe she'll let you help people choose dresses?"

"Don't you have to go to college for that?" Rin pointed out.

Kagome sighed as Sango wheeled her into the said store. "Yeah…"

Upon entering the beautiful -white- building, they were met by a young woman with white furs, green eyes, red pigtails, and a tail. She was obviously a wolf demon.

"I'm Ayame," She greeted, flashing fangs in a smile. "And you don't happen to be _the_ Kagome Higurashi, Sango Taijiya, and Rin Takahashi I've been hearing about on my T.V. for the last month?"

"In the flesh," Rin replied, firmly shaking Ayame's hand.

Ayame flashed a soft look. "I'm sorry for the loss of Inuyasha Takahashi. I know he was important to you all."

Kagome's face fell, but then she steeled her emotions and said bitterly, "Well, life just hates us all. Doesn't it?"

Sango flinched at her best friend's words then said quickly, "Let's find a dress, shall we?"

Ayame smiled slightly. "This way, please," She said, leading the way to a backroom. The three other young women followed her.

Upon reaching the room, Ayame nodded to two chairs -as Kagome was in her wheelchair- and said, "Alright, Miss Sango. What kind of dress do you want?"

Sango tapped her chin. "I want a real simple one," she decided. "No train, no decorations, just a plain white dress."

Ayame blinked. "Are you sure?" Sango nodded.

"Alright then…"Ayame said, confused. She moved to open the door, but then was startled when a voice asked softly, "Can I come help choose?"

Ayame looked over in shock when she saw Kagome Higurashi's exhausted, grieving, dead eyes looking at her with a small amount of hope. Ayame cracked a grin. She wasn't stupid; she could see that the heart break was literally killing the girl. After spending so much time around a half-demon's presence…she had grown to rely on the mixture of mortal and demon aura. Unknown to the humans yet, her skin had dried a bit and her hair was duller than it should be. "Of course."

Kagome gave an exhausted smile and wheeled after Ayame. "Thanks," she murmured after getting through the door.

"No problem," Ayame said, grinning still. "Let's go find what you're friend would like!"

**~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Ayame blinked in surprise as she wheeled Kagome, whose arms were full of dresses, back to the backroom. "Kagome-Chan, I thought Sango wanted a simple one…"

"I've known her for years," Kagome said smugly. "I know exactly what she does want, and that's one of these."

"If you're sure…" Ayame said nervously, opening the door before wheeling Kagome past the woman's friends and into the dressing room. Before long, Kagome had wheeled herself out again and motioned for Sango to go in.

Kagome settled herself into the chair next to Rin, leaving her wheelchair unattended.

"You didn't get simple dresses, did you," Rin said softly.

Kagome laughed, waving her off. "Course not. You and I both know that as tough as San is, she prefers girly wedding dresses."

Rin nodded just as their said friend emerged from the dressing room, face bright with delight. "Kagome, you are amazing!" She announced.

Rin and Kagome shook their heads. "No," Rin said. "_You_, my dear friend, are amazing. Look at you!"

Sango had emerged in a beautiful -and large- beige dress. It was strapless, and golden lace created magnificent designs all over it and on the corset. The train drifted elegantly behind Sango, and the said girl's eyes sparkled.

Kagome cooed to her friend. "Awww…you're beautiful, San!"

Rin agreed enthusiastically.

"Well, we've still got two more dresses…" Ayame said softly, a grin on her face.

Back into the dressing room Sango went.

"So, Kagome," Rin said, leaning back in her chair. "Are you…okay?"

Kagome sighed. "I should have known this was coming. Yes, Rin, I'm fine. It just…hurts a little."

"Kagome," Rin said softly, leaning closer to her friend. "Don't lie."

Kagome almost broke down. "I'm not…it just hurts a little," she repeated, clenching her hands into fists. "Now drop it, Rin."

Sango emerged again, this time a strange look on her face. "Kagome, could you explain _why_ you chose a purple wedding dress?" The dress made their friend look sexy. It was a lovely magenta lilac coloring, strapless, and fit Sango perfectly. The dress was gathered in different spots, making it look plated. Small rhinestones drifted around the top near her breasts.

Kagome gave a fake grin. "Remember! Miroku likes purple, woman. And the dress fits you nicely and looks quite sexy."

Rin nodded. "I agree with Kagome on all things. So far it's this one, Sango."

"Just one more to try on," Sango announced, disappearing into the dressing room with Ayame again.

Rin smiled then said to Kagome, "Kagome, you do realize that I've lived with a dog demon for centuries. I'm not stupid. You practically smell of guilt and grief."

Kagome scowled at her. "My boyfriend was killed because I had the Shards. Wouldn't you feel guilty?"

Rin sighed and nodded. "I guess…" she said grudgingly. "I'm sorry for forcing you to think like this."

"Whatever." Kagome spat, shoving her way into her wheelchair and away from Rin.

Sango once again revealed herself and both Rin and Kagome were immediately clapping.

"That's the one," Rin decided.

Kagome gave a cat call. "Perfect. So you, Sango. You're getting it."

Sango lit up brilliantly.

The dress was white satin at the corset, studded with rhinestones. It, too, was strapless. A thing material made up the large skirt, which had rhinestones at the bottom, and the train was made of ruffled satin, gathered together to look like white, soft waves.

"I love it," she said.

After Sango had changed into normal clothes and Rin had paid for the dress, Ayame caught Kagome as the woman prepared to wheel herself outside. "Kagome-Chan, I had a quick question."

Kagome glanced at her. "Yeah?"

"I heard you are jobless now," Ayame said carefully. "So would you consider working with me? I don't usually find what people want so fast…and you look like the kind of person who can."

Kagome broke into a grin. "We were actually talking about me asking you about that. I'd love to. Thanks, Ayame."

Ayame grinned and waved her off. "Just give me a call when you want to get married, Kagome-Chan."

Kagome smiled, and then turned away, tears pricking at her eyes as she hurried and wheeled out after Rin and Sango.

_That won't be until I'm dead._

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"OUT!"

The person staggered, slumping heavily against the wall as blood spattered the ground again, which was already covered in blood stains, old and new. Their body was covered in gashes and slices, made intentionally by the owner of the body.

"Get out!" They spat, raking claws down the back of their neck. Blood dripped to the floor. "Out, out, OUT!"

A heart-wrenching howl burst from their mouth as they started randomly lashing at their back and chest, letting out a small cry of pain.

"I'll kill myself before I let you hurt them," the person spat at the other thing, glaring into the darkness.

"Get. Out." They repeated, looking ready to cut out their own heart. "I'll…do whatever you want, just get out…"

A moment later, they snapped, "NO! I WON'T DO THAT!"

Silence, then-

"Huh. So you're weakness…is my soul? Easy, I know how to get you out now," they taunted.

Suddenly, they raked claws over their heart over and over, digging into the flesh furiously until they slumped down to the floor, barely conscious.

"I win," they rasped, black edging their vision. "You're gone now, you bastard."

Then, with a soft moan, the person passed out, jumping gratefully into the blackness.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

**A/N: -dies laughing- Do you honestly think I'd end the story at this part? What do you take me for? This story has a bit of life to it yet :3 Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed. Review please, as it makes me feel better.**


	26. To Each Their Own

**A/N: And now, for the next chapter of this story ^_^ I disclaim Inuyasha characters, but this plot…belongs to me! :D Also, my other stories are kind of on pause for the weekend ^_^" I have no muse for them…and I need a break XD**

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"You look beautiful," Rin said softly as she finished helping her injured friend into a lilac dress made of satin. She tied the sash around Kagome's waist, and tightened the spaghetti straps so Kagome's breasts wouldn't accidentally come out during the wedding. "Don't get mad at me, but…" she looked into the mirror at her friend, meeting her gaze as she rested her chin on Kagome's head and gave her a quick squeeze. "Inuyasha…he would have really enjoyed seeing you look like this, Kagome."

Kagome felt tears prick her eyes and she quickly blinked them away, not wanting to ruin her make up or hair by burying her face in her hands. "Yeah…I guess so." She answered in an almost inaudible voice, hands clenching into pained fists. "He would've liked to tease Miroku about getting married, too, I bet."

Rin chuckled and helped her friend out of the chair she had been sitting in.

Kagome had been allowed to stop using a wheelchair, to everyone's relief. Now she walked almost everywhere, showing that she was ecstatic about this development.

Kagome walked over to where Sango's dressing room was, where the bride herself was getting ready for her wedding. She could hear Sango sniffle every few seconds, and her eyes softened.

As Sango's entire family had passed on, it had been -surprisingly- Sesshomaru who had offered to give Sango away and to Miroku.

Rin had been delighted with him, promising 'activities' later.

Kagome, Shippo, and Sango had flinched in disgust while Miroku asked if he could watch. Miroku was lucky to get away with just a bump on the head.

When Sango came out, her face was bright with a smile and she examined herself in the mirror. "Is this okay?"

"Of course," Kagome replied, rubbing her friend's shoulder. She fixed up her friend's hair, piling it on top of Sango's head. When finished, she said, "Rin, Shippo, and I have to go sit down now, alright, San? We'll be in the front row, making sure Miroku doesn't try anything," she teased. "And we'll clap loudest when Miroku kisses you and seals the deal."

Sango reached over and gave her friend a hug. "Kagome…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for everything."

Kagome smiled softly. "You're welcome, San." Then she walked out.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Can you see her?" Shippo asked, trying to look over everyone to where Sango was supposed to come out. "I can't see her, Kagome!"

"Calm down, Shippo," Kagome reassured, also craning her neck to look for the missing bride-to-be. "Sesshomaru will keep her safe, and as soon as Sango's ready, she'll come…see? She's coming right now."

Indeed, Sango had appeared, lightly holding onto Sesshomaru's arm. Her eyes were full of unshed tears, her white dress flowing beautifully behind her. Her brown hair was piled elegantly on top of her head, and she had the brightest smile on her face.

Sesshomaru remained with his cold expression, though it did seem a lot softer.

Wedding music began to play.

Sango walked down the aisle and Kagome rose with the rest of the audience -which wasn't very many- to applaud. Then she settled down again beside a beaming young fox demon.

When Sesshomaru and Sango reached the end of the aisle and Miroku stood over them, looking dashing with a bright smile aimed at Sango, Sesshomaru handed Sango over properly before moving to sit on Kagome's other side, next to his mate.

The music ended.

The preacher opened his mouth to speak, but Miroku suddenly interrupted softly, "Before…before we begin, I have something to say."

Sango blinked in confusion.

"Most of you know of what happened a month ago at Shikon Elementary," Miroku said loudly, turning to face everyone in the audience. "How demons attacked, how Kagome called on our help, how the building exploded…and how we lost a great friend and man, Inuyasha Takahashi, who died saving Kagome and myself. Though he can't be here…" Miroku choked on his words for a moment and tears began spilling down Kagome's cheeks. "Though he can't be here today, to enjoy this wondrous occasion, I wanted to say thanks to him if he can hear us…for helping me grow up, for being there for me, for getting us through tough times with his sarcasm." A few chuckles ran out and Kagome choked on a sob. "And most of all…for meeting Kagome Higurashi, who ultimately helped me get so close to Sango, that we are able to get married. He brought a lot of joy to…to our lives, and I hate the fact that such a good man, half-demon or not, had to go. I hope that one day, when I join him in the other world or if he is still alive, we will meet once again and I will be able to thank him for all the things he did for me in my life. If it wasn't for him…I would not be here today. So, Yash, if you're out there and can hear me now, get your ass out here so i can beat you for being late." Miroku bowed his head as more chuckles rang out. "That is all."

**~~A/N: Shoot. ;-; I'm crying as I write.~~**

Sango gave her soon-to-be-husband a proud look and gently touched his cheek.

Kagome broke into a smile, giving Miroku a grateful look as tears leaked nonstop out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Miroku met her gaze with a teary grin of his own.

Shippo, who didn't understand a single word of Miroku's speech though he could tell it was upsetting everyone, climbed into Kagome's lap and said softly, "Kagome, don't be sad. It's supposed to be a happy day, remember? Like you told me?"

Kagome smiled slightly and buried her face in Shippo's hair as the preacher began to speak. "I know, Shippo. And it is…" she murmured. "It's one of those rare days that give us hope, Shippo, that maybe eventually…we will see Inuyasha again."

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the preacher finally announced. "You may kiss the bride!"

Everyone broke into cheers and applause as Miroku smirked and leaned over, gently kissing his now wife. Sango kissed him back enthusiastically and Kagome chuckled, hugging the now sleeping Shippo to her chest.

"Shippo," she murmured. "Wake up. It's time to go to the reception."

Shippo blinked open his eyes and then rubbed them. "Sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean to fall asleep," he yawned. "I just got really tired!"

Kagome laughed, ruffling his hair as she followed everyone else outside and towards where the reception was; a large meadow. She had _no_ idea why Sango had one, chosen the meadow behind Kagome's house, and two, invited every single imp to the reception. Her eye twitched as she felt something brush her leg.

Soon, the party began. Everyone completely skipped dinner and toasts, as Miroku immediately dragged Sango onto the area saved for dancing, laughing with her.

Kagome watched as, one by one, each person was asked to dance by their respectable partner. Even Shippo was dragged off by the small fox demon he had met so long ago in Kagome's classroom, a grin on his face.

But Kagome just sat back and watched, her heart twisting with grief as she went over Miroku's speech in her head again and again. She was so…thankful.

"Hey! Higurashi! Get your ass up here!"

Kagome cracked a grin at Sango's voice, the said woman waiting impatiently at the edge of the dance area with Miroku.

"You need to dance, too!" Sango added.

Kagome shook her head. "I'm fine, San. I just want to relax and…you know, think for a bit."

"Nonsense," Miroku scoffed. "I made up that speech just for you, you know. The least you can do is have a dance."

Kagome cocked an eyebrow. "Are you asking me to dance in front of your wife, Houshi?"

"Yes, he is," Sango said, raising her own eyebrow and looking at Miroku. "But I give him permission as you probably won't dance with anyone else right now."

Miroku expectantly held out his hand and Kagome groaned, getting to her feet and taking it. Sango took over her chair, watching with a sparkling grin.

Miroku escorted Kagome to the dance area, smirking lightly. "I succeeded in escaping my wife for a few minutes!" He cheered.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd be proud of that."

Miroku grinned, taking Kagome's hand in his and resting a hand on her waist as she put her free hand on his shoulder when a fast song started up from a massive stereo system -courtesy of Rin and Sesshomaru. They began dancing, laughing as they did so.

After two songs, Miroku returned to Sango with a laughing Kagome, taking his wife's hand and kissing it before asking, "Sango, would you like to dance to the slow song with me now?"

Sango laughed and followed him to the dance area.

Kagome watched them with a smile, eyes tinted with sadness. She remembered Inuyasha's second to last promise that he had told her, when nobody was around to hear it.

_When we go to the wedding, the only person you'll dance with is me. _He had put on a crooked grin, kissing the top of her head. _We'll show all of them who the best dancers are._

Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes as she remembered the half-demon's voice as he had said those words, a mischievous glint in his eyes and a smug tone to go with it. She took a deep breath to calm her self, and then got up, walking into the trees and towards her house. She needed to pull herself together so she didn't break down in front of all those people. She didn't need to be called weak as well as bad luck and cursed.

Kagome heard the noise behind her fade away as she walked through the calming, warm darkness of the trees, the silence comforting. She smiled slightly, tucking some hair behind her ear. It wasn't that she was bored…quite the opposite! She just needed to be alone for a moment and-

Something shifted the branches a couple yards in front of her, and a form staggered into Kagome's backyard.

Kagome froze, eyes widening with alarm. Was it a demon? Or was it some random drunk man from the party?

But then the person -demon, human, or half, whatever it was- gave a slight moan and slumped to the ground, breathing ragged and harsh. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise when she saw a red liquid begin to pool on the ground around them.

As he was in the shadows, Kagome couldn't see his face. So she hesitantly approached, not knowing if she knew him or not. "Hey!" She called softly, edging over. "Are you alright?!"

A rasping sound was her answer.

Kagome knelt down in the blackness of the shadows, the moon a bright silver disk, a full moon, over head. "Do you want me to call an ambulance?"

The person moaned and then rasped again, a broken, strangled sound coming from their slashed throat.

Kagome gently murmured to them, "I'm going to have to get you into my house, alright, sir? Don't kill me please…I just want to help." She carefully placed her arms under his armpits and began to haul him out of the shadows.

The moon's light suddenly shone down on the man and Kagome's heart nearly stopped beating in her chest. She sucked in a breath sharply as the man before her rasped again.

The moonlight made silver turn a brilliant glowing white. Golden eyes glinted dully from under bangs soaked in blood…and dog ears perched on top of his head, twitching painfully every now and then. Kagome had no doubts about who he was.

Inuyasha.

Kagome dropped to her knees, laying his head in her lap as blood soaked the front of her dress. "Inuyasha…" she whispered, stroking his cheeks with a shocked look.

Inuyasha gave a small groan and she gently pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Hold on, Yash," Kagome told him quickly, digging in her bra -yes, she had stashed her phone in her bra- for her phone. She quickly dialed in the emergency contact number.

"How can we help you?" A person on the other end asked calmly.

"Please," Kagome croaked out, clutching the phone in a death grip as she soothed the wounded half-demon in her lap. "You've got to send an ambulance. Hurry! He's barely breathing…and he's cut all over!"

"Your address and the name of the victim?" Kagome gave her address and then said, "Oh yeah! His name's Inuyasha Takahashi."

The person on the other end became alarmed. "Inuyasha Takahashi?! Isn't he dead?!"

"Just send an ambulance!" Kagome shrieked, and then hung up.

She leaned back over the barely conscious half-demon. "Hang in there, Yash. They're sending help, just hang in there! Please! I can't lose you again!"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Sango had been dancing, laughing, with Miroku when she first heard it. She frowned, looking over her shoulder as the man kissed her neck. "Do you hear that?"

Miroku lifted his head, listening. Then he heard it. "Yeah… sirens?"

Sango's eyes widened in horror as the wailing became louder and louder until it filled the entire clearing. "The closest place is Kagome's…Kagome! No!" She took off, holding her skirts up as she ran through trees, Miroku hot on her tail.

They quickly reached Kagome's backyard…to find medics, an unconscious person, and a frantic Kagome, who was gently soothing the unconscious person with gentle words, promises, and touches.

Sango gasped and scrambled over, Miroku and their guests not far behind as she saw that Kagome's dress was soaked in red. "Kagome!" She cried. "Are you okay?! What's going on!?"

Miroku kept the guests and friends back so they wouldn't bother the medics, but then almost toppled over when Kagome suddenly threw herself at him, showering his face in thankful kisses. "Thank you, Miroku!" She sobbed, hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much!"

Miroku shot Sango a bewildered look, prying the sobbing girl off of him. "Err, Kagome? What's going on? Who's hurt?"

Kagome pulled away, tears starting to spill over her cheeks as the medics began carrying the stretcher away. "Your speech, your prayer, whatever you want to call it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She cried. "You brought him back!" Then she was gone, scrambling after the medics and stretcher.

Sango looked at Miroku. "What does she mean?"

"It means," Sesshomaru's cold voice suddenly said from beside them. Both glanced over at the demon. "that the subject of your speech, my brother, is alive."

Silence, then-

"OH MY FUCKING GOD HE'S ALIVE!" Sango screeched, face lighting up.

Miroku began hysterically laughing, throwing his arms around his wife.

Shippo jumped onto Rin's shoulder when she began sobbing.

Everyone else began cheering and clapping, and the sound roared into the empty, yet filled night.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome impatiently paced, not caring as people stared at her blood soaked dress as she waited for a doctor…some doctor, ANY doctor, to tell her she could see the half-demon she had missed for so long, to tell her that he was alive and would survive to fight another battle. That he would go back to normal…that she could, once again, be by his side.

"Err, ma'am?" A voice interrupted her thoughts and she whirled around to see a middle-aged man staring cautiously at her. "Shouldn't you go home and clean up-"

"Shut up!" Kagome hissed, glowering at him. "Don't tell me what to do! My boyfriend, who has been missing for months and probably pays you, is in the emergency room, bleeding to death! So shut your damn annoying mouth and stay out of it, you bastard!"

The man jerked away, eyes wide with surprise.

Kagome returned to her pacing, thinking again.

A few moments later -or hours, she couldn't tell, a voice said softly, "Kagome Higurashi?"

Kagome's head jerked up to see a wary looking doctor. "That's me."

"Would you come with us so we can speak with you about Mr. Takahashi's condition before you go see him?" The doctor requested.

Kagome nodded and scrambled after him, eager.

As soon as they were in a conference room, the doctor pulled out some files and began.

"Mr. Inuyasha Takahashi has been missing for quite some time, I've heard, rumored to be dead," the doctor said, "but that's obviously not true, as he is here in the hospital now. He was covered head to toe in multiple injuries, all self-inflicted, particularly above his heart. Nearly all the skin there was shredded."

Kagome's eyes flew open as he said, "We suspect that he was at, some point, possessed."

"Continue," she said softly.

"As he is a half-demon, he's already healing quite well and should be able to return home in the next couple days," the doctor became wary again. "However, his mood has become quite…dangerous, as he's awake. He threatened to kill us if he had to, to get to you, Miss Higurashi."

Kagome sighed, face palming. "Sorry about that…"

The doctor smiled. "We've heard worse. The last thing I've heard is that he nearly threw a heart monitor out the window. Now…would you like to see him?"

"Of course!" Kagome exclaimed, leaping to her feet. "Take me to him right away!"

The doctor smiled crookedly and stood up, shuffling the files as he started for the door. Kagome followed him through hallways until, finally, they came across a steel door. Kagome raised an eyebrow, and the doctor simply said, "As said, he's in a dangerous mood."

Kagome winced as there was crash inside, followed by a growl.

Kagome took a deep breath, and then opened the door.

The growl cut off immediately, and the woman was shocked to see Inuyasha crouched on the bed, covered in dozens of bandages, golden eyes furious as he growled. The minute he saw her, however, he relaxed. His eyes filled with relief and longing.

Kagome sighed with relief and darted over, throwing her arms around him -making sure to be careful of his wounds. She buried her face in his neck, beginning to shake with sobs. "Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha's arms went around her immediately, eyes filling with confusion. "Kagome? What's wrong?!"

"You're okay…" Kagome whispered, pressing as hard as she dared against Inuyasha. "I need to thank Miroku again," she added in a murmur to him, breathing in Inuyasha's scent.

Inuyasha frowned, looking at his girlfriend curiously. "Why the hell would you thank that pervert? You want to break him up with Sango or something?" He demanded, tightening his grip.

Kagome couldn't help it: she laughed. "No, of course not…you missed their wedding, by the way," she told him. "It…it was so nice of him…" she whispered, eyes filling with tears again. "He gave a speech about you…practically prayed that you would come back at his wedding…and he said he did it for me, because I helped him meet Sango," she said. "I can't thank him enough." She pressed a kiss to Inuyasha's cheek.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, nuzzling the top of her head. "Damn it, woman." He muttered, breathing her scent in deeply. Then he narrowed his eyes. "You're covered in blood."

Kagome laughed slightly. "Yours, Yash. You appeared in my backyard and I went to help you, and you bled all over me." She began showering kisses all over his face. "Don't scare me like that again!" She snapped. "You scared me half to death with all of that blood!"

Inuyasha blinked at her, raising an eyebrow when she then buried her face in his shoulder again. "Did you turn bi-polar or something while I was gone?"

Kagome scowled at him then said, "Where were you anyway? How did you not die in the explosion?" Her voice quivered at that.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I dunno," he said, pressing a reassuring kiss to her head. "I just remember waking up in a cave. That's all. Then I got to your yard somehow. And then the ambulances. Now here."

Kagome sighed, twining her fingers with his. "We thought you were dead, Inuyasha," She told him. "We thought you'd died in the explosion…and it was my entire fault, because I brought the Shards to the school…but…" she broke down, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so glad you're okay, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha cursed. "Don't cry, damn it!" He snapped, furiously nuzzling her cheek and pressing kisses to the corner of her mouth.

Kagome laughed lightly, wiping the tears away as the half-demon moved her so she rested between his legs, her back against his chest with his arms wrapped around her. Inuyasha tucked her head under his chin. "No more crying," the half-demon demanded.

Kagome smiled and closed her eyes, resting her head back against him. "Sure." She said softly. "I'll try to stop…you know, you broke your promise," she teased. "You said you would dance with me at Sango's wedding."

Inuyasha snorted in exasperation. "You have gone bi-polar."

Kagome rolled her eyes and leaned back against him.

"We'll dance at Souta's wedding, how about that," Inuyasha breathed in her ear suddenly. Kagome shivered lightly, and then he added, "And perhaps our own…?"

Kagome broke into a grin. "Are you asking me to marry you, Takahashi?"

Inuyasha grinned as he rested his chin on her shoulder, his cheek brushing hers. "Perhaps…though I don't have a ring with me."

Kagome's already happy grin grew wider and she twisted around, throwing her arms around him and kissing him deeply.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

**A/N: -recoils- So I did a REALLY bad job on their little reunion and Inuyasha's proposal. I apologize over and over again starting…now. -bows and apologizes hundreds of times- But what did you think? And what did you think of Miroku's speech at his wedding? :3**


	27. Missed You

**A/N: Whew! So many reviews on the last chapter! XD I'm glad most of you cried :3 It made me feel better over the fact that the damn combat boots I ordered two weeks ago have yet to come in. That, and that I'm going to a town two hours away for a team meet. XD Anyhow, disclaimers, and thanks for crying at Miroku's speech! Miroku has actually become my fave character for some reason…-innocently looks at Miroku wallpaper-**

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"You shouldn't be standing up," Kagome protested as her fiancé decided he wanted to get out of bed and go home. The doctors had okayed it, seeing as he was half-demon, but Kagome wanted him to be fully healed before they went to her house. "Please just relax, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Keh! It isn't that bad." He carefully stood up, staggering slightly. Kagome was by his side in an instant, helping with his balance.

"Inuyasha, please," She pleaded, looking at him with anxious eyes. "You were seriously hurt last night, just give it another day."

"No," Inuyasha said stubbornly, then grunted, toppling over into the hospital bed again as the door opened and a little orange ball flew into him, sobbing. "Damn it, Shippo!" Kagome sighed in relief as soon as he was off his legs. "Good job, Shippo," she joked. "You got him back down."

Inuyasha was, by now, awkwardly hugging the little fox demon, who was wailing, "We were so scared you had died, Inuyasha! You idiot, don't ever ever do that again! Kagome was really sad! I was really sad! And Miroku threatened to kick your-" he broke off, glancing nervously at Kagome's cool look. "-butt!"

Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes and saying as the door opened further to reveal the rest of their family and friends, "Why do you all think I'm some kind of weakling!?" Miroku rolled his eyes as he stepped in. "Because you vanished for months after an explosion?"

Inuyasha snickered, smirking at him. "Huh, while you were comfortably sitting at home, I had to tear…" his smirk fell and his face paled slightly, a haunted look coming into his eyes.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said softly, removing herself from Rin's crushing embrace to walk over and gently touch his cheek. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?"

Inuyasha suddenly violently shook his head. "Nothing." Turning back to Miroku, he said, "While you were at home, I was in a cave bleeding half to death, and you expect me to randomly come home and expect a party?"

"…yep," Miroku replied, laughing as Sango raised an eyebrow her hand wrapped around her Hiraikotsu's strap.

"Why did you tear yourself up with your own claws, Inuyasha?"

The drop of a pin could be heard when Shippo's question was heard.

Shippo was innocently hugging Inuyasha, though he was carefully sniffing Inuyasha's bandages. Then he said, "You cut yourself…why?"

Kagome gently pried the fox demon away, glancing worriedly at Inuyasha when he began growling. "It's okay," she soothed to him when the growling grew. She shot a nervous look at Rin, who nodded and forced the others out. She sat beside him on the bed, gently brushing some hair out of his face. Inuyasha's growling diminished.

"Damn it," Inuyasha muttered as Kagome leaned against him. "It hurts."

Kagome frowned, pressing a kiss to his forehead to feel for a fever. "What hurts?"

"My head." he muttered back. "My chest. Everything."

Kagome soothingly stroked his hair, as if soothing a child. "It's alright, it'll feel better soon. Do you want us to go home for a while and let you rest?"

Inuyasha immediately shook his head. "No. I want you to at least stay here. You're not leaving my sight until I can be sure you won't be attacked."

"That won't be until Naraku's dead," Kagome pointed out, glancing at him with amusement.

"Exactly," Inuyasha replied, wrapping his arms around the young woman beside him and brushing his lips against her cheek. "I don't want you getting killed."

Kagome rolled her eyes, leaning against him. "I'm not going to get killed if I'm gone for five seconds."

"You never know," Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes and releasing her to lay his head back on the pillows. "When the hell am I allowed out?" he demanded. "This is getting really old really fast. They keep me locked up like some animal and don't even give me a book! I hate reading, and I want to read! That's just fucking pathetic!"

Kagome laughed at Inuyasha's outburst on his outlook of reading. "Calm down, I'll bring you a book if you're that desperate," she teased.

"Nah, can't you bring me a damn blackberry or something?" He begged.

"As long as Rin buys it," she chuckled in reply. "As for your question, you should be getting out in…" She counted. "Two days."

"Thank Kami!" Inuyasha groaned, slinging an arm over his face. "I don't think I can take too much more of this place!"

Kagome burst into giggles as Rin popped in, a smile lighting up her face at Inuyasha. "Hey, we just wanted to say we're leaving and Shippo wanted to tell Inuyasha -this is his exact message- to "get better so we can have another water-fight with Kagome and the others"."

Kagome laughed some more when Inuyasha moved his arm to peek out at Rin. "If I had a choice, that boy would be running down the street with me chasing him with a water gun. Hell, I'll fight Sesshomaru at this point."

Rin's laughter rang out as she gently shut the door.

Kagome flopped down beside the half-demon and Inuyasha pulled her closer to him, nuzzling his face into her neck. He smirked slightly, and then gently nipped at her neck. He chuckled when she jumped in surprise, squirming in his grip slightly. "Inuyasha," she complained as he began moving his lips against her neck. "We're in a hospital."

"Your point?" He growled, gently nipping at the junction of her neck and right shoulder. Kagome squirmed again, trying to get out of his grip.

"It's a hospital," she shot back, shivering lightly as she felt Inuyasha's fangs skim the spot he had nipped at. "I feel bad. People have probably died in this room."

"It's a room for demons."

"Exactly, they were probably killed."

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whined, pausing in his actions to look up at her.

"No big make out sessions in the hospital," Kagome said firmly, pressing a finger to his lips to silence him. "We can do whatever you want after you're discharged, but nothing until then. Got it? The only thing I'll let you do is plan with me." She broke into a grin. "You have to plan a wedding you know."

Inuyasha pouted but sighed and gave a nod. "Fine…but I'm marking you as soon as I get home."

Kagome groaned, burying her face in his shoulder. "Fine! Can you just -" She was cut off as her phone began to ring. Kagome sighed and sat up, clicked talk, then held it up to her ear. "Hey, Ayame!" She greeted, her face breaking into a delighted look.

"Hey, Kagome," Ayame laughed on the other end. "Listen, I need your expertise…"

Kagome sighed, twining her fingers with the clawed ones of Inuyasha. "What do you need help with? I seriously doubt I'll be able to come in and help you…"

Kagome could almost see the red haired wolf-demon pout. "But this woman…oh my fucking Kami, she can't choose a damn dress! Please?!" She begged. "I can't stand her anymore! And I have two more people…and Yura chose NOW of all days to be sick!"

"Yura's a demon," Kagome pointed out. "Demons don't get sick."

"Exactly!" Ayame wailed into the phone. "Please?"

Kagome sighed, moving to stand up. "Fine, I'll see what I can do. It depends on whether Inuyasha let's me or not, seeing as how I've been with him nonstop for three days straight-"

"Inuyasha?" Ayame echoed. "As in Inuyasha Takahashi? The famous -and rich- half-demon that was killed in an explosion? Kagome, are you seeing things? Do I need to call a mental institution?"

Kagome snorted in amusement. "Hell no. I'll give you details later, but my _fiancé_," she stressed the last word, "is alive."

Silence, then-

"I WANT TO MEET HIM!"

"Not today, Ayame, for one he's still in the hospital, and two, I need to come help. Remember?"

Ayame sighed. "Fine, but bring him over when he's done. Text me his answer! Bye!" She hung up.

Kagome turned to Inuyasha who looked at her with a disapproving look. "There is no way in Hell you are stopping me from working at my only job," she said firmly.

Inuyasha growled. "Kagome-"

"Just because Sesshomaru owning your father's business gets you all the damn money in the world and just because we've decided we're getting married…whenever does not mean I am rich," Kagome replied back hotly. "I need to work!" "Kagome, listen for a damn moment!" Inuyasha interrupted with a growl. "I wasn't saying you couldn't go! I was _going_ to tell you to at least bring Sango with you!"

"Why should I?" Kagome snorted. "I have three demons who already work there with me. Ayame, Yura, and -for some reason- a guy named Jakotsu…okay, Jak's not exactly a demon…"

Inuyasha couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. "There's a guy selling…selling wedding dresses?" "Hey, no hating on Jak," Kagome scolded, though she had to hide her own smile. "He's a good man…if you get over the fact that he flirts with every man he sees."

Inuyasha choked on that.

"Now, I'm going without Sango," Kagome told him, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his lips. He smirked snaked an arm around her waist, forcing her to remain still as he parted her lips and slid his tongue in.

After a moment of kissing his girlfriend and fiancé deeply, he pulled away with a sigh. "Fine. Go to your job. But come back as soon as you can."

Kagome big back a laugh and gave him a final peck on the lips before walking towards the door. She opened it and moved to step outside of the room when she crashed into someone, almost toppling over with a yelp of surprise.

"Sorry!" Her victim exclaimed, steadying her carefully as Inuyasha burst into warning growls just as the door shut behind her. "I didn't see you there, miss." Kagome smiled, taking a step away to examine the person before her. "It's alright. I need to watch where I'm going," she laughed, smiling brightly at the man that had crashed into her. "I'm Kagome Higurashi."

The man cracked a grin. "You can call me…Byakuya." he said. Indigo hair was tied up in a pony tail, and he had pointed ears. Violet eyes stared curiously at her while his painted red lips were quirked up in a small smile. A strange sword was strapped to his back and he held a folded origami bird in one hand. "I am here to visit Inuyasha Takahashi…I suppose the room you just came out of is his?"

Kagome nodded, head tilted curiously. "Yes, Inuyasha's just inside…but he needs some rest, so could you come at a later time? Perhaps around…oh, let's say…three o' clock tomorrow afternoon?" Byakuya jerked in shock. "Such a long time, Miss Higurashi…"

"I understand, but Inuyasha needs some rest and Sesshomaru has decided to come discuss some 'things' with him tomorrow," Kagome replied smoothly, her distrust rising. There was something about this man…it made her not like him. At all.

"Alright," Byakuya gave a smile. "I suppose you'll be here then, as well?"

"Of course," Kagome answered. "I don't plan on losing him again," she added, eyes narrowing as Byakuya's lips quirked up slightly.

"Of course," Byakuya soothed. "I will be here by three tomorrow afternoon. Goodbye, Miss Kagome Higurashi." He then turned and walked away, a grin making its way onto his lips as he pulled out a cell phone. The minute Kagome was out of sight, he pressed a button and held it to his ear. "I have an 'appointment' with the great Inuyasha Takahashi and Kagome Higurashi tomorrow at three…" he paused as a voice yelled at him. "I know, I know. I needed one today, but Miss Higurashi just wouldn't allow it," he sneered. "I'll have an illusion ready by then, though, and your plan will come to life."

He grinned. "Goodbye…Naraku."

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome yelped in surprise as a body flung itself at her the moment she stepped inside Ayame's building, the person sobbing. "Oh, Kaggies, I can't find the right one for her!"

Kagome sighed, awkwardly patting his back. "Calm down, Jak, we'll get the right wedding dress for this woman…take me to her."

Jakotsu scrambled into the backroom where the difficult client was apparently residing. Kagome followed after him with a slight smile. She, Yura, and Ayame all happened to adore Jakotsu despite his attraction to the male species.

"Miss Yuka," Jakotsu called as he opened the door, "Miss Higurashi is here to help you." Kagome was tempted to slam her face into a wall at the name and sight of the young woman before her, as well as the two behind the woman. "I must be dreaming…Yuka? Eri? Ayumi?"

The three girl's faces lit up with disbelief and amazing.

"Oh my gosh, Kagome!" The third woman exclaimed, throwing herself at Kagome. "It's you! We haven't seen you in years!"

Kagome laughed as the other two began exclaiming phrases as well. "That's because the last time I saw you, you accused me of stealing your boyfriends and became very pissed off with me. I thought you all moved to America together! What happened to America?"

Yuka laughed, hugging Kagome. "Turns out my current boyfriend and fiancé decided he wanted to get married and wanted to have a traditional Japanese wedding. So we all came here for a few weeks. I can't believe you still live here though!"

"So how's the forever alone, dateless Kagome?" Eri teased.

Kagome gave a slight smile. "Not dateless anymore. I'm engaged as well…but he has yet to get a ring," she laughed.

"Tell us!" Ayumi demanded.

"I'll tell you if you come with me while I pick out some dresses for you to try," Kagome told them.

They instantly agreed.

Kagome began explaining all that had happened while she strode down rows of wedding dresses, plucking one off the rack every now and then. "After you guys left, nothing really happened…until I started teaching last year." She gave a wry smile. "One of the Takahashi's was being transferred to my class -Shippo- and I was able to meet Inuyasha and Shippo. Soon after that, a man named Miroku got Sango's number -we really need to figure out how the hell that happened- and they began dating. I became well acquainted with the Takahashi's, though Inuyasha 'hated' me."

The three nearly toppled over.

"You met _the_ half-demon, Inuyasha Takahashi?"

"And Sesshomaru?"

"And Inutaisho?'

"Were they hot?"

"Are they still single?" Kagome burst into laughter. "Yes, yes, yes, pretty damn hot, and no." She told them. "Anyways, Inutaisho and Izayoi died soon after I met them. Sesshomaru's been married for a few hundred years. Inuyasha's no longer single…" she gave a smile. "A while after we met, we sorted out feelings and fell in love…and then the school I was working at was attacked. Inuyasha was inside when it exploded." The women gasped, immediately murmuring apologies and words of comfort.

Kagome merely laughed and waved them off. "You haven't heard the full story yet. Miroku and Sango got married a few days ago…and during the wedding, Inuyasha came back." she broke into a smile. "He's in the hospital right now, but he's okay…that's all that matters."

"Kagome!" A voice sang.

Kagome looked over her shoulder. "What's up, Yura?"

Yura gave a bright -nervous- smile. "Err, someone's here to see you…"

Kagome tensed up, shoving the dresses she held at Yura. "Go help Yuka. The last time this happened, the school I worked at exploded…I want you to keep them safe," she ordered, then scrambled to the front of the building.

The four women stared after her in confusion.

About halfway there, Kagome almost slammed into a swooning Jakotsu. She deadpanned. "Jak, what the hell are you doing."

"There's a cutie up there," Jakotsu announced, eyes bright. "I could just eat him up!"

Kagome sighed, face palming. "What does he look like?" She asked tightly.

"As I said, he's pretty cute," Jakotsu told her with a smile. "And he has the cutest little doggy ears…"

Kagome slammed a fist into the wall, scaring the hell out of the man. "Damn him!" She spat. "He's supposed to be resting in a hospital bed!" Then she stormed off towards the lobby, ignoring Ayame's curious look as she passed the wolf demon. "INUYASHA!" She roared as she saw him, shifting anxiously in a pair of jeans and a simple red shirt with black converse. "You're supposed to be in a hospital bed, what are you doing here?!"

Inuyasha gave a small growl. "We've got bigger things to worry about, Kagome. One being that Rin and Shippo have vanished off the face of the earth. Another being that Sesshomaru's already torn down half the city looking for them." He took on a grin. "And another? Naraku's appeared…again."

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

**A/N: So Inu's out of the hospital, Rin's vanished, and Sassy's gone mad. Took me all damn week to write this…X_X Sorry 'bout that… But I'm so busy… Anyhow, thoughts?**


	28. Sesshomaru's Shard

**A/N: On to the next chapter :D Anyhow, disclaimers and enjoy ^_^ Thanks to reviewers as well!~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

A moment after Inuyasha had finished his statement, Kagome instantly said, "Naraku has them. I'm sure of it."

"Who?" Inuyasha sounded confused, and Kagome sighed.

"You're slow from your injuries," she said, as if comforting herself because of his stupidity. "Rin and Shippo," She added, answering his question as her boyfriend frowned. "I bet Naraku has them."

Inuyasha instantly nodded, and added, "First things first: we're stopping Sesshomaru. He's gone into a crazy mode where the darker side of him took over. It's gonna be a fucking pain to calm his ass down…"

"Kagome?"

Kagome glanced over her shoulder as the rest of the people in the store edged into view. She groaned. "You heard?"

Jakotsu looked at Inuyasha with a dreamy expression. "Of course…what you said, Kaggies, and that dashing young man beside you said…"

"Suck it up, Jak," Yura snorted, crossing her arms with a pointed look. "That's Kagome's boyfriend and fiancé. You're not getting any luck with him."

"So _that's_ Inuyasha Takahashi," Ayame mused. "He is pretty good looking…"

Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi were giving Inuyasha criticizing looks. "I suppose he'll do for you," Ayumi sighed.

"He's not the best choice, considering his rumored temper," Eri agreed.

"You guys," Yuka protested. "He's obviously designed for her…"

Kagome groaned and yelled, "HEY!" Everyone became silent. "We have some business to do, so if you'll excuse us…?"

Jakotsu pouted. "But I wanna help the sexy dog man…I could help you with my Jakotsuto sword…"

Inuyasha shuddered at his words and Kagome chuckled, wrapping her arms around his neck and lightly kissing him before mumbling quietly, "You have three seconds to get me out of here before I explode. We _have_ to find Rin and Shippo."

Inuyasha nodded, mumbling back, "Sesshomaru first. If we can rein him in, he can track down their scents. As much as I hate to say it, his sense of smell is stronger. Then we rescue them, and find Naraku."

"Sango and Miroku?"

"Already working on Naraku," the half-demon confirmed, giving her a final kiss before turning and kneeling down. "Get on," he said in a louder tone.

Kagome hesitantly climbed on piggy back style. "Wait," she muttered, glancing over her shoulder. "Ayame, bow and arrows?"

Ayame glanced up from a heated discussion with Yura about what uses Inuyasha's dog ears could be for. "Yeah, sure. They're in that huge closet near the door."

"Thanks!"

"Wait, no, don't -"

Too late, Inuyasha and Kagome were out the door faster than you could say _'Shikon'_.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Kagome stared in horror as they passed half demolished buildings with an unmistakable red liquid dripping from floors, some buildings still burning. "…that's it. I'm purifying him."

Inuyasha shook his head, taking another flying leap. "Kagome, you don't get it. This is because his mate has disappeared. Demons…their mates are more important than the world itself. If you steal a demon's mate, they go psychotic and destroy everything to find them." Kagome frowned. "We could find Rin and bring her to him…but then we have to take time finding her. We don't _have_ time right now."

"Exactly," Inuyasha replied, bounding forward. "That's why- what the hell!?" He shot out of the way as something crashed down towards where he had just been. Kagome clung to him like he was her lifeline -which he was.

Inuyasha growled, glaring up. "Oi! Sesshomaru! Calm down, damn it, we'll find Rin! But damn! We can't do that if you're like that!"

The beast before them was almost nothing like the Sesshomaru Kagome knew. He had Sesshomaru's dog form…but his eyes were crazed, furious, grieving, just a mixture of emotions. His face contorted into a heart stopping show revealing his teeth. Kagome instinctively whimpered and hid her face in Inuyasha's hair.

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder when he felt Kagome, tense slightly. Then he narrowed his eyes. He had seen some demons go crazy over losing their mates, but not this bad. He knew _Inu youkai_ were and always would be the most possessive type of demon. He had learned as much from his father before the old man had died. But this…this was not Sesshomaru looking for his mate, though he didn't know what it was. "Kagome?" The word she hissed in his ear nearly stopped his heart. "Shard!" Inuyasha cursed, glancing back at her again. "There's a Jewel Shard in the bastard? No wonder he's this bad! Where the hell is it?!"

Kagome winced at the thought. "Left shoulder."

Inuyasha set her down, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. "Stay here and outta the way. I'll take care of it."

Kagome instantly snatched his wrist into her hand before he could leave. "No! You're hurt still, remember? I can do it," she insisted, eyes narrowing and threatening him, daring him to go anyways.

He kissed her for a moment. "Kagome, I'm half-demon. Besides," he flashed a smirk, "I'm stubborn. Remember? I ain't going anywhere without ya, wench. I'll be back in a second."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "You're not back in five minutes, I'm coming out."

Inuyasha began to protest, but the firm look in her eyes made him groan and snap, "Just stay put!" before shooting away and towards Sesshomaru, who had disappeared behind a building.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Sango soothingly patted Kirara's head as the large feline narrowly avoided being impaled on a tentacle Naraku shot at them. "Damn it all," she cursed. "I hope Kagome and Inuyasha are okay…considering _someone_ let him out of the hospital room…"

Miroku sighed from behind her, holding her waist tightly and preparing to open his Wind Tunnel. "I didn't _mean_ to, but the minute I opened the door, he was out, saying something about Sesshomaru destroying half of Tokyo."

"…fuck," Sango muttered, swinging Hiraikotsu again at a tentacle that tried to grip her ankle and pull her off of Kirara's back. "If Sesshomaru's killing people over the fact that Rin LITERALLY vanished with Shippo right in front of us, I'm gonna kill him mySELF!" The last half of her word came off as a shriek as she was suddenly jerked off of Kirara.

Miroku's hand shot out and grabbed his wife's arm, kicking the tentacle away and pulling her onto the large feline. "Are you okay, Sango?!"

"Fine," Sango panted in reply, clinging to her husband. "Just fine."

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled, leaping to avoid the paw that was slammed down on where he had just been. "Snap out of it, damn it! Or you're going to kill more fucking people! You kill Kagome, you die, you got that?"

He _had_ to reach his half-brother's left shoulder. That was his only way to be able to get out of this alive.

Inuyasha sighed, unsheathing Tetsusaiga. "I'm sorry, Sessh," he muttered. "Only one way to do this, and the sooner you CALM THE FUCK DOWN the sooner we CAN RESCUE RIN!" He yelled up at him, golden eyes full of smoldering anger.

Sesshomaru snarled, baring massive fangs and teeth.

Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga and winced as he swung a Wind Scar to distract him, leaping immediately after it with his sword ready to stab into Sesshomaru's shoulder.

_Whoosh!_

Inuyasha narrowly avoided being purified as an arrow whizzed past him, hitting the building behind Sesshomaru with a massive explosion. Inuyasha jerked his head towards the source. "Kagome, what the hell…" his eyes widened in shock at what he saw.

Her.

The woman who had tried to purify him.

The woman he thought he had fallen for.

The bitch he had had to kill.

"Move," her voice was a simple command, but full of anger and fury. "He must die in order to save innocents."

Inuyasha smirked, remaining where he was. "Kikyo," he greeted coldly. "I'm not letting you kill my brother. He has a valid excuse. Rin's gone missing."

Kikyo gave a cold smile. "I see. This explains the tainted Jewel Shard then?"

"Naraku's doing," Inuyasha snarled back, then cursed, jumping to avoid Sesshomaru's paw as it slammed down at him.

"Inuyasha!" A panicked voice came from behind some rubble and then Kagome was streaking out from behind it, running as fast as she could away from the rubble. Behind her, a large demon lizard was hissing, easily stalking after her with no rush to reach her.

Inuyasha growled, ignoring Kikyo in his rush to save Kagome. He easily sliced at the lizard, then snatched up his girlfriend, jumping to avoid Sesshomaru's paw again. "Damn it, woman, I thought I told you to stay there!" "And get eaten? He snapped my bow!" Kagome snapped back.

_Crack!_

Sesshomaru roared furiously as an arrow's spiritual power cackled, zapping at his side. He lunged.

Kagome blinked, frowning at…herself? No, that wasn't her, she was sure. The person's hair was longer and straight, bangs hanging straight across her forehead. Her skin was slightly paler and she had chocolate brown eyes instead of azure. "Who's that?"

Inuyasha gave a dry laugh, going into a defensive stance in front of Kagome. "I'll introduce ya to the bitch later," he said harshly. "Before I kill her again."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the back of his head, and then turned to look at Sesshomaru. A thought appeared in her head, and before she could second guess herself, she had ducked past her boyfriend, scrambling towards the furious Inu despite Inuyasha's furious and frantic yell of "GET YOUR ASS BACK OVER HERE!" Kagome narrowly avoided getting smashed, an almost crazed grin on her face. Then, to Inuyasha's utter shock, she was swarming up Sesshomaru's large leg, clinging to his fur like a bug. Sesshomaru snapped irritably at her, but was kept at bay from attacking by spiritual arrows and slices of Inuyasha's sword -carefully aimed so the sword wouldn't hurt him.

"Kagome, what the hell are you doing?!" Inuyasha yelled.

"The Shard!" Kagome yelled back, reaching his shoulder. Now she was safe, as he couldn't reach her without biting half of his own shoulder off. Kagome concentrated all her powers, calling for the Shard that lay in her soon to be brother-in-law's shoulder. Meanwhile, 'Kikyo' narrowed her eyes in thought as she watched, calmly knocking another arrow to her bow. A smile crept onto her face as she aimed her arrow at the girl.

Inuyasha kept his gaze locked on Kagome.

Byakuya grinned as his illusion released an arrow at the unsuspecting girl.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Rin opened her eyes, finding a small and shivering Shippo clutching her shoulder, whimpering. "Shippo," she murmured, sitting up and crushing him to her chest. "Where are we…?"

Shippo sniffled, burying his face in her shoulder. "Rin!" He sobbed. "I'm scared."

"It's fine." Rin soothed, rubbing his back as she looked around nervously. "I'm sure Sesshomaru-Sama will come find us soon."

"Hard to do that when you're mate is half way across Tokyo…_destroying _it." A soft voice mused.

Rin whipped her head around, tightening her grip on Shippo at the sight of a boy. He appeared around seven years old, had light purple hair, a pale complexion, and violet eyes. He held a cruel look all in all.

"I am Hakudoshi, an incarnation of Naraku," the boy said with a smirk, crossing his arms across his black T-Shirt covered chest. "And I was put in charge of making sure you don't try to escape. If you do try…" he held up a hand a large spear like weapon appeared. "I have permission to kill."

Rin glowered at them. "Stay the hell away from me and Shippo-Chan."

"Sure…as long as you stay there," Hakudoshi snorted.

Rin glared at him. _Get here soon, Sesshomaru…_

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Inuyasha had been watching his soon-to-be-mate intently, growling softly to himself. She would be fine, he reassured. She had to be. She WOULD be.

He'd die before she wasn't.

"Be careful!" He yelled up at her as Sesshomaru attempted to shake her off.

Kagome's concentration was direction on the Shard.

And then it was out.

"Yes!" She cried in triumph, holding up the Shard for her boyfriend to see. "Got it!"

Inuyasha sighed in relief as Sesshomaru blinked, eyes full of confusion.

_Wham!_

Kagome shrieked in pain and surprise as an arrow lodged itself deep into her arm, causing her grip on Sesshomaru's pelt to slip. She plummeted towards the ground.

Inuyasha cursed, leaping forward and carefully catching her. "Kagome!" He said, alarmed. "What the hell…" he broke off with a snarl at the sight of the arrow, whipping his head around to look at Kikyo. "You bitch!" Kikyo gave a cruel smile, knocking another arrow. "Now, now, Inuyasha, she was stealing a Shard of _my_ Jewel."

Inuyasha carefully removed the arrow from Kagome's arm, ignoring her yelp of pain. "Stay away from my mate," he spat at Kikyo, almost curling himself protectively around Kagome. His eyes flashed red for a moment, his demon snarling with fury that she had been hurt.

Kagome squirmed, feeling claustrophobic at his sudden movement, hiding her from everything. "Damn it, Inuyasha, I'm fine, you can stop!" She snapped at him. Then she paused and added, "And I'm not your mate yet!"

Inuyasha growled, ignoring Kagome's furious words as he glared at Kikyo. Something was different, he concluded. The Kikyo he had known and -he admitted to this- loved would have helped instead of hurting Kagome or killing Sesshomaru. She knew that killing a demon's mate would put the other half of the mated pair in agony for hours until death. He narrowed his eyes. _Huh…now that I think about it, I guess Dad didn't Mark Mother…_

Kikyo cocked her head and Inuyasha stiffened. Sesshomaru merely stood and watched. "I see…so you've forgotten about me…"

Inuyasha growled, burying his face in Kagome's hair to distract the rage bubbling up in him. Kagome cursed at him, glowering up. "Keh! So?"

Kikyo gave another cruel smile, raising her bow…

…then…

_SMASH!_

There was a growl from Sesshomaru as he raised his paw, revealing paper. _As usual, little brother, you are delusional and pay no attention to the scents of illusions._

Inuyasha blinked for a few moments. "…what?" _It appears that that person up there was controlling it,_ Sesshomaru mused, pointing with his muzzle towards the sky where a familiar dark haired man floated on a paper crane.

Kagome recognized him immediately. "Hey!" She cried. "That guy wanted to meet Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha's ears flattened. He had been tricked by an illusion! "Damn it!" He roared, standing up with Kagome held bridal style. "You're with Naraku!"

Byakuya smiled from his paper crane. "And I have had the meeting I -and Naraku- desired, no? Goodbye," he said smoothly, then floated away.

Kagome squirmed out of Inuyasha's grasp, keeping a tight grip on his sleeve, however. "Sesshomaru," she said urgently.

Sesshomaru's gaze became focused on her.

"Rin." Was all she needed to say before Sesshomaru's aura flared, seeking its other half.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Sango glared at the spot Naraku had been in just moments ago, panting for breath. "Miroku?"

"Yes?" Her husband asked, doubled over and wheezing.

"I believe…we will be…working out more and…for longer times," Sango gasped back, strapping Hiraikotsu to her back.

"I…agree," Miroku said in response, straightening. "Now…shall we go find…Inuyasha and Kagome…and Sesshomaru?"

Sango nodded in agreement, straightening. "We should hurry. They don't know that Naraku's got a new-"

"What don't we know?"

Both glanced over to see Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Kagome, who was being carried by her fiancé. Kagome shot Inuyasha an irritated look, obviously disapproving of being carried, before saying, "What don't we know, Sango?"

"One, we know where Rin is thanks to Naraku's carelessness," Miroku explained. "And two-"

"He's got a few new incarnations," Sango butted in. "Byakuya and Hakudoshi."

"That makes Kagura -who is now dead, Kanna, Hakudoshi, and Byakuya," Kagome mused. "We've met Byakuya. Be careful of him, Sango and Miroku, he makes illusions. He made one of Kikyo."

Miroku, who was the only one out of the two who had been around at the time, narrowed his eyes. "Bastard." Inuyasha gave a wry smile. "I know. Now, are we going to find Naraku, or are we gonna let Rin be tortured to death."

Sesshomaru snarled, looking ready to tear apart his half-brother at the suggestion.

"Let's go," Miroku agreed grimly.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

**A/N: It's short. -ducks and cowers- But forgive me, you must understand that I have so much muse that doesn't match any of my stories. Now I have three damn plots for three different ones, but can't write them without getting an overload of work. -_- That will be fixed soon, as I believe Forever & Always is reaching its end, this story MIGHT ((probably not)), and the rest of my stories will NOT be ending right now. Anyhow, review please! And I hope you enjoyed :D**


	29. Naraku's Mansion: Part I

**A/N: Welcome to another chapter of The Secret War! ^_^ This story will -as like two others- probably be drawing to a close soon. ;-; Sad, I know. But all things must end…anyhow, disclaimers and enjoy!**

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"Well?" Kagome said nervously as well as impatiently, playing with her fingers as Inuyasha joined Sesshomaru in sniffing the area for Shippo and Rin. "Any luck yet?"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, lifting his head to shoot a small glare at her. "We'd be heading out if we found anything."

Sango sighed as Kagome scowled and opened her mouth. "Enough," she interrupted softly. "Rin is in danger, as well as Shippo. We need to work together…_peacefully_."

"Tell that to him," Kagome grumbled. "I was just asking if they found anything."

Sango face palmed and rolled her eyes. "You two…one minute you're all lovey dovey and saying I love you, and the next you're arguing like an old married couple."

"Oh shut up and stop being jealous," Kagome sniffed.

Miroku wrapped his arm around his new wife. "Leave Sango alone, she is just worried about Rin as well."

"Oh shut it, Miroku," Inuyasha snorted, going back to sniffing the ground. "And I got nothing you two pathetic women."

Sesshomaru suddenly stood, starting forward at a fast run. "This way," he ordered darkly, his eyes gleaming with a murderous look. Kagome made a note to herself; don't take Sesshomaru's mate, Rin, unless you wanted to die a slow and painful, torturous death.

Miroku and Sango climbed back onto Kirara's back and the twin tailed nekomata purred before leaping into the air, following the searching _youkai_. Kagome climbed onto Inuyasha's back piggyback style, wrapping her arms around his neck as he took off, golden eyes narrowed with thought. "Kagome," he suddenly said, tightening his grips around the said woman's legs. "Stay away from Naraku and Kanna. And Byakuya and Hakudoshi if you can. But especially Naraku."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'm not just gonna hide out in a corner the entire time you're fighting Naraku. I'm not weak. You guys distract Naraku and the other demons. I'll get Shippo and Rin. How does that sound?"

"Take Kirara or Sango with you," Inuyasha replied firmly. "I don't want you going by yourself. One of his damn incarnations could be hiding nearby."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I don't think he has _any_ guards around Rin and Shippo," she said sarcastically.

He snorted. "Keh! I just want you to be safe, wench."

Kagome copied his snort. "And I just want to go home, but that's not gonna happen, is it, Inuyasha!"

"How does going home have anything to do with what we're talking about?"

"How does your question have anything to do with whatever we were just talking about?"

"What the hell _are_ you talking about, wench?"

"What are _you_ talking about?"

"…what?"

Both paused in their argument, looking utterly confused as Inuyasha continued running.

Sango groaned, slapping a hand to her face as Miroku kept his arms around her waist. "I give up on those two…hey, Miroku?" She murmured, frowning as she felt something tugging strongly on her middle.

"Yes?" Miroku asked absent mindedly.

"Your…never mind," she said with a sigh, closing her eyes briefly. "Just my imagination…"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"This way," Sesshomaru's voice echoed from down the corridor of the stone building, dark with fury and worry for his mate. "She is this way."

Inuyasha growled softly as he led the way for his friends, his ears swiveling and one arm tightly around Kagome's waist as his gaze darted around, his other hand on Tetsusaiga. "Keh, we can hear you!"

Kagome shuddered at the coldness of the tunnel -causing Inuyasha to growl again and press her closer to him. "Damn, it's cold," she complained.

Sango nodded from her place beside Miroku, eyes thoughtful. "I certainly hope there are no snow demons down here. That could be seriously bad with the amount of space in these tunnels. Most snow demons are large." Her voice echoed off the stone, mostly meant for filling the silence.

"Yeah," Miroku agreed quietly, suddenly wincing.

Sango frowned. "Are you alright, Miroku?" She asked softly.

Miroku nodded silently, then said, "Go walk with Kagome; I'm sure she needs some girl time while we travel to find Naraku. I'll be okay by myself."

Sango's frown deepened, but she gave a hesitate nod and moved forward at a faster pace, easily catching up to her friend and her friend's soon to be husband. "Kagome!"

Inuyasha suddenly dropped back to walk beside Miroku, his golden eyes dark with thought. "Miroku," he huffed. "I'm not deaf. It's your Wind Tunnel, isn't it?"

Miroku gave a slow nod, his own violet eyes darkening each second that passed. "Yes, I believe my end is nearing…unless Naraku dies. Then I'm safe."

Inuyasha roughly patted Miroku's shoulder, shooting a truly worried look to his best friend. "Don't worry, Miroku," he reassured the man, "We'll save you. I don't think Sango wants to lose you just yet, you pathetic human. She'll beat your ass if you decide to leave."

Miroku cracked a smile. "I know, and I don't plan on leaving her anytime soon. I want to stay…but this is not my decision. My life is in your and Sesshomaru and Kagome's hands, Inuyasha. Whether you want to save it or not. And I beg of you; please do. Sango…I want her to be happy. And that can't happen without me at her side."

Inuyasha growled, now hitting the back of his head. "Damn it, Miroku, I just said we'd save you. Now shut up and get back to work."

"Yeah, yeah," Miroku sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. "Half-demons…"

Meanwhile, Kagome and Sango were having a fairly strange heart to heart talk.

"So what do you know about snow demons?" Sango asked.

"I just know that they can create snow and stuff," Kagome replied with a shrug, yawning. "What about you?"

"Snow demons," Sango began with a smile. "Are huge for the most part. They, as said, can create and control snow. Most of them look like the 'yeti'," she snorted at this, "But some are known to look like saber toothed cats or giant ogres. They mostly freeze their prey, and then eat them. That's how it was before civilization with demons happened, anyway."

Kagome nodded, rubbing her arms. "They expel cold, don't they," she said.

Sango nodded, running a hand through her messy hair. "Yes, they do. I seriously think we'll be dealing with one in a moment…personally, I myself think it's a 'yeti' one. From the amount of chill and power I can sense from here -I know you sense it too- it's powerful."

Kagome nodded, her eyes darkening as she glanced over her shoulder at Miroku and Inuyasha, who were also in deep conversation. "Hey, Inuya-"

_Slam!_

The breath was driven from Kagome in a gasp as she was sent flying into a wall, black spots appearing in her vision when a gust of wind whooshed past. She heard yelps and grunts of surprise.

Then it was pitch black.

Kagome cried out in shock. "Inuyasha!?"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice replied, sounding panicked. "Are you okay?" Kagome shook from a blast of cold. "Yes, I'm-" she broke off with a sudden scream of agony when something buried itself in her stomach.

The smell of blood filled the air.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

A young girl with pure white hair stood before her 'master', a mirror held tightly in her hands as the man before her watched through it.

In the mirror, thought it was dark at the scene, he could see clearly. The demon had attacked as instructed. The _youkai _and _hanyou_ hadn't even suspected it coming up from behind. He saw the wind of the demon blast them all into walls, stunning them and knocking out two out of three of the mortals. The half-demon shoved away from the wall, looking desperately for his woman while the demon snuck up on the young priestess and then buried its saber like fangs into her torso.

The man frowned in disapproval. He wanted the woman to be perfectly alright, not injured. He hissed slightly. He needed an unblemished body for the Jewel.

His lips quirked up. And he didn't want it getting his hard earned Shards.

"Naraku," a voice interrupted his thoughts, and the said man turned to face the owner.

"Byakuya," Naraku greeted his incarnation. "Why are you not keeping an eye on the demon?"

"Well, for one, you already have enough watching on it," Byakuya replied, nodding at the girl holding the mirror. "Kanna's helping on that one, and two…it seems we have a minor problem…"

"The problem?" "Err, we have an angry Wolf Demon Tribe approaching…"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

He led his friends and comrades toward the house, anger flowing through him. How dare this bastard attack his home and people! How dare he!

He sniffed the air, and immediately narrowed his eyes. "What are they doing here?" he muttered. "Kagome shouldn't be here…"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha practically screamed, throwing himself at whatever was attacking her. He snarled dangerously, lashing out as hard as he could with his claws. "GET OFF OF HER!" The demon roared, reeling back.

Sesshomaru took his place while Inuyasha raced to attend the injured Kagome. "Kagome!" He murmured, gently shaking her shoulders. "Wake up." As he attempted to coax her into awareness, he set to work, ripping off part of his sleeve to bandage her stomach. He winced, going dizzy at the scent of her blood so up close.

Kagome flailed weakly from her place against the cold wall. "I am awake, idiot, it just hurts like hell!"

Inuyasha sighed in relief. "I would fix it, but we don't have time. Sorry."

Kagome attempted to hit the back of his head. "Idiot," she repeated.

Sesshomaru materialized beside his brother, looking down at him. "Inuyasha, they are close." "I know," Inuyasha said, tone stressed as he struggled to decide what to do. Two friends were unconscious, his mate -as his demon side had dubbed days before- was injured, his brother was rushing them to rescue his own mate, and to make matters worse, Naraku knew all of that.

Inuyasha groaned after sniffing the air. "Great. You take care of the small fry while I get these guys back on their feet."

Sesshomaru couldn't hide a smirk as he cracked his knuckles. "With pleasure."

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~So…it's short. Don't need to tell me that. XD I apologize, but I needed to get this up! XD**


	30. Naraku's Mansion: Part II

**A/N: ahfaoiehfjweoij -flails- Okay, so I'm super excited! I've decided that -depending on the poll results- there might be a sequel. Please vote! I'll make the sequel anyway, but your votes will decide how soon it comes out after this story is over. This is important, as I have a few stories I plan on writing soon! And now…for the chapter! Disclaimers!**

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Soon enough, they were once again on the move. Kirara was carrying Miroku and Sango, who were still slightly dazed. Sesshomaru was confidently leading the way. And Inuyasha came last, carrying his injured 'mate' -his demon really wouldn't shut up now that she was hurt, ranting on and on.

"Hang on, Kagome," Inuyasha said softly, his heart twisting at the shallow breathing Kagome was giving. "I know it hurts, but hang on. We'll get you to a hospital as soon as Naraku's dead, I promise. Then we can go to America and to your brother's wedding, and then we can get married ourselves. Just like we agreed."

Kagome gave a weak laugh from her spot on his back, her eyes fluttering shut. "We didn't agree on nothing," she said, her voice slightly slurred from the pain and her teaching experience showing as she gritted her teeth and corrected, "on anything, I mean."

Inuyasha chuckled, gently shifting her so he had a better grip.

"Rin," Sesshomaru suddenly said, darting forward. Kirara leaped after him, Inuyasha hot on her tail. Sesshomaru led the way through corridors and halls, stepping quickly. Finally he reached a door. He paused, sniffing, then rammed into the door with his shoulder, breaking it clean in half.

There was a screech and a scream of surprise, followed by scuffling as Shippo and Rin scrambled backwards to avoid the wood and whoever had broken the door down. But when they saw who had appeared, Rin leaped to her feet with a sob, throwing herself at her husband and mate. "Sesshomaru!'

Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her petite waist, sighing in relief. "Rin," he murmured simply, gently soothing Rin.

Shippo, meanwhile, had screamed in happiness, throwing himself at Inuyasha with relieved eyes and a bright grin. "INUYASHA! KAGOME!"

Inuyasha laughed, holding onto Kagome with one hand and catching Shippo with the other. "Hey, runt, miss us?"

Shippo smiled, clambering onto his cousin's head. "I missed you a lot! They juts made us sit there forever and ever, didn't they, Rin? And then I told them that yo would come help us because you've helped Kagome and stuff, but they didn't think you would! They said you'd go right after Naraku!"

"That's where we're going next," Kagome said softly, smiling weakly at the fox-demon. "After he's dead; we go home."

Shippo nodded slowly, looking at kagome anxiously. "Kagome? What happened? There's blood!" "She got attacked," Miroku said from where he was on Kirara, eyes remaining shut as he rested, his head on Sango's shoulder. "We all did. And it wasn't fun."

Sango groaned her agreement.

Inuyasha chuckled, twisting his head to nuzzle Kagome's cheek reassuringly. "How are you holding up?" He murmured to her, eyes full of anxiety.

Kagome ignored the blackness that was invading her vision by the second and she barely managed to reply, "Fine." She closed her eyes again, her breathing harsh, she noted. She wasn't stupid. The demon had stabbed her through the stomach with a fang and she was only human-and it hurt like hell. She was dying, and Inuyasha knew it, too. He just refused to believe it.

"Come on, we need to find Naraku," Inuyasha said, sniffing the air, then starting for the broken door again. "He's this way…Kagome?" Kagome had coughed harshly, spewing red all over his shoulder. She gave a rasping berath, bubbling coming from her chest as she coughed up the blood.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whimpered, gently shifting so that she was cradled against his chest, his ears flattening. "Sesshoamru?"

"Tenseiga is not with me at the moment," Sesshomaru replied back softly.

"Stay awake, Kagome," Inuyasha murmured. "We'll come back for Naraku later. Just…" his voice cracked in pain. "Look at me, okay?"

Kagome stared up at him, her eyes dull. "Inuyasha…"

He whimpered, nuzzling her hair as their friends and family paused, looking back with concerned eyes. "Stay with me, alright? We'll get you to the hospital, right now."

Sesshomaru grunted from where he was. "She won't make it, Inuyasha." He said bluntly, eyes narrowing.

Sango lifted her head, her eyes panicked. "What?! Kagome's dying?!" She stuggled to get off of Kirara, but Miroku kept her there, his eyes dark with concern for his wife. "Let go!"

Inuyasha snarled at Sesshomaru, his own eyes full of panic. "She'll be fine, damn it!" Kagome sighed, closing her eyes. She nuzzled her face against Inuyasha's chest, breathing in his smell. The black wave seemed to be flooding into her mind and she smiled. "Love you Inuyasha."

"No, no, no," Inuyasha snarled, frantically kissing her neck, nipping gently. "Stay awake," he said urgently. He kissed the joint of her neck, clenching his teeth. "Please, kagome, stay awake."

Kagome closed her eyes, her breathing rattling in her chest as she relaxed against Inuyasha. "Can't…" she mumbled. The twenty something year old woman looked like a helpless child in Inuyasha's arms, her breathing becoming shallower. She smiled as the wave consumed her and she went under.

Inuyasha blinked slowly. When he raised his head, his eyes were round with shock. "She's…gone." He whispered, head reeling. "She's gone." He repeated.

Sango went silent, then burst into tears, flinging her hands in front of her face. "No!" She wailed, giving a sob.

Inuyasha growled, lightly kissing Kagome's face as it began to grow cold. When he pulled away, his eyes were calm. "Let's go."

"Where?" Shippo sniffled, hugging Rin's neck. "I want Kagome!"

"Don't we all," Inuyasha said, starting forward with a deadly look on his face, one that had even Sesshomaru backing away. "And where else? We're going to find that bastard and kill him!"

"Agreed," Sango said from her spot on Kirara, her face a calm mask as she shot one more pained look at her best friend -someone that nobody would ever replace. "We'll kill this guy, and then we'll do it slowly. I'm going to first take out is eyes…" she began to rant a long list of torturing -ultimately leading to Rin covering Shippo's ears.

"Enough," Inuyasha snapped, darting forward. "I smell him! He's this way!"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Naraku watched with amusement in Kanna's mirror at the scene that unfolded: his goal had been to get the girl alive, as he had been commanded to do. But, no matter, he could revive her and twist her soul just a little bit. As for the wolf demons…Byakuya was flicking the last of their blood from his hand.

"I see," He mused as Inuyasha's group started forward, Inuyasha refusing to let go of his dead woman. "We'll get her when they're busy fighting. That way it'll be easier. He won't notice until it's too late."

"Why exactly do we want the dead woman?" Byakuya asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"One, he wants it," Naraku said calmly, "and two, she is still holding a few Shards, is she not?"

"And who is this 'he'?"

"I am not allowed to say," Naraku said, voice harsh. "Now shut up and go distract them with a puppet so that I may get the girl."

"Yeah, yeah," Byakuya sighed, turning to leave. Then he paused. "You actually killed her," he stated bluntly.

"So?"

"She looks like-"

"GET LOST! I gave you a job, so do it before I decide your heart's not worth keeping!" Byakuya sighed but ducked out of the room.

"Naraku," Kanna spoke quietly and urgently. "They approach."

"I guess sending Byakuya was ordered too late," Naraku sighed, standing up with a smile. "Though this will be an interesting fight…"

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Inuyasha was -surprisingly enough- struggling not to shed tears over the dead woman in his arms as he walked, breathing in her scent, wincing when he noticed it was mixed with death. He couldn't believe it.

Kagome was dead.

What was he going to tell Souta? Was Inuyasha's only thought as he walked, eyes dull with grief. This was all his fault. He should have been beside her, protecting her from the demon. Instead he had been too busy talking with Miroku to notice the demon that had been stalking them for over an hour. Instead of his mate-to-be being beside him, smiling and laughing at his words, she was laying silently, cold in his arms. He groaned. _I'm sorry, Kagome. Please…forgive me. _

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru's voice suddenly said, full of anger. Inuyasha smiled slightly. That was definitely his brother's version of grief. "Up ahead, there is the scent of Naraku."

Inuyasha paused.

Translation: Fight of flee? Inuyasha took a breath, closing his eyes as another wave of grief flooded him and he gave a soft whimper. When he opened his eyes, they were flaming with rage. "We will stand and fight for Kagome."

Miroku gave a cold smile from his spot on Kirara. "For Kagome!" He called.

"For Kagome!" Inuyasha's friends and family echoed loudly, their eyes determined.

"For the girl I loved," Inuyasha replied, hos voice so soft they couldn't have heard him.

But Sesshomaru obviously heard, as he shot his half-brother a look that promised revenge on Naraku, for more than just their lost father and mother, for more than Sango's brother. For Kagome. "You must leave her," Sesshomaru said simply. "Rin and Shippo will stay behind with her."

Inuyasha stiffened but nodded, giving Kagome's head a final nuzzle before setting her down against the wall. Rin silently sat a little ways away with Shippo, her eyes grieved as she glanced at the dead woman beside her. "We'll keep her safe, even if it costs our lives," Rin decided.

Sesshomaru smiled proudly at her.

Inuyasha looked at his dead woman with pained eyes before he closed them. When he opened them, Rin shuddered. They were emotionless except for fury, a mask of anger for the person that dared lay a hand on his soon to be mate. "We WILL be back," he said firmly to Rin. "This is where it ends. I'm sick and tired of him messing with my family. He will be dead when we come back. And when we get home, Sesshomaru will revive Kagome."

Sango gripped her Hiraikotsu with a wild look, her eyes full of cold fury. "Hell yes, he will. He killed my little brother and my best friend."

"He cursed my family," Miroku said just as softly, his arm going around Sango's waist with a determined look. "He will not curse my children."

Sesshomaru merely looked on with an almost distant look as he gave his mate's head a pat.

"Then let's go," Inuyasha said, unsheathing his sword and starting forward. "Time to end this."

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Naraku stood patiently in the doorway of the room, his red eyes closed with a slight smirk. He knew that his death was near. He was ready for it, certainly. His eyes opened, full of smugness. But at least he had taken the most important person down, he had been thanked by him for that. He had realized it would be easier to grab her without her fighting, he had said he could easily revive the woman without a problem. Naraku's 'master' had no doubts.

Naraku straightened, stepping out of the room. The war that had lasted for hundreds of years…it would end, finally.

And so would the Sacred Jewel.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

Inuyasha tilted his head as he motioned for his friends to stop, standing stock still as he blinked in shock.

Standing before them, his back facing away, was Naraku. The _real_ Naraku, not a stupid puppet that he always sent after them.

Naraku smirked as he turned to face Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, Sesshomaru," he purred, crossing his arms. "What a pleasant surprise."

Inuyasha's blood boiled, his eyes seeing red. "Damn it, so you show yourself after you kill an innocent person, huh? Should we have just sacrificed a random person?"

Naraku tapped his fingers on his arms. "Actually, I have technically been ordered to die myself. You have not realized over the last few hundred years that your enemy was not myself, though I do still destest you and wish for your death." He smirked as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru realized he knew something that they did not. "No, your enemy has always been someone…bigger. I myself could have not controlled Ryukotsusei, convincing him to go after your father and kill him. I myself could not have killed Hakudoshi without his help."

"And would you care to explain who 'he' is?" Inuyasha said, pursing his lips in annoyance. "It might help us a little."

Naraku examined his claws. "No," he said, "That will come to you eventually. Perhaps if I had not been ordered by him, we would have become friends, no?"

Inuyasha shot him a strange look, edging towards Sesshomaru slightly. "Err, I don't know what the hell your problem is, but fucking hell no. What's wrong with you? Your head is seriously messed up on the inside or something."

"Now," Naraku spoke as if Inuyasha hadn't spoken. "I suppose you have come to kill me, planning on getting revenge for your lost girl, huh?" He said softly, glancing up with a sneer. "Too bad I won't just stand there. I will fight for my life, though, in the end, it will probably be in vain." He straightened and the tentacles on his back began to grow and multiply in numbers and size. "I can at least hope to take one of you down with me."

All hell broke loose.

A moment later, Inuyasha was slashing away at endless amounts of tentacles. Sango had somehow ended up beside him without Kirara, hacking away as well with wide eyes with her Hiraikotsu. "What the-" she began to curse many profanities that made Inuyasha grin.

"Good job," He said simply, slashing one that would have pierced her through the chest. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Sango grinned with the light of battle in her eyes. "I try my hardest."

"Good," Inuyasha chuckled, lunging for Naraku's main body. They had to kill him. The more time that his Kagome was dead, the less of a chance of her being able to be revived…otherwise, it might not work before too soon…

Sesshomaru was suddenly thrown towards him, sending both flying into the ground, Sesshomaru landing on top of his brother. Inuyasha yelped in surprise while Sesshomaru merely grunted before lunging at Naraku again. Inuyasha scrambled to his feet, lunging again himself. "Damn you, Naraku!"

Suddenly, Sango screamed, "Rin!" Sesshomaru jerked around with a hiss, immediately assisting his mate. "What the hell are you thinking?" He hissed.

Rin panted for breath, her face streaked with tears. "Her…body! Gone! Vanished in front of us!"

Inuyasha froze midair, then grunted when he felt something tear through his chest. _No…_ There was no chance of her getting revived now! "No," he whispered.

Inuyasha hit the ground, his mind going blank.

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

**A/N: So the next chapter is the epilogue. The sequel should be out soon :3 …-sniffles- This is so sad…**

**ANYWAYS, I apologize for the not so good chatper. I will probably re do it soon ;3 **


	31. Epilogue

**A/N: Here it is ;-; The last chapter! But have no fear! The next story will be up before you know it!**

Things went by quickly after that.

Inuyasha could sort of remember Naraku's death -Sesshomaru managing to stab him and then Miroku sucking him up soon after Inuyasha had hit the ground. He could sort of remember being helped to his feet by the said Miroku after his curse had vanished.

The thing he completely remembered: they had been unable to find where Kagome's body went.

Now, Inuyasha sat in a tree behind the mansion. It had been two weeks since he had seen her die in his arms, and Inuyasha's chest was just beginning to heal.

Inuyasha closed his eyes. He couldn't believe it. A week ago, the anniversary of meeting Kaogme had passed…and he'd been sitting there with a broken heart. "Kagome…I'm sorry."

**~~OO~~II~~OO~~**

_**((A Year and a Half Later))**_

_I'm floating in darkness, unable to move…unable to open my eyes. Unable to sense whether or not someone's nearby, whether I'm ill, whether I'm hurt. All I know is that my torso flashes with pain every now and then…and that someone's missing. I can't remember who though…just that they're really important to me…that they mean so much, that the world could fall in a flash of fire and I wouldn't care, as long as they were beside me._

"Wake up."

_I frown, surprised my face can move. "Who's there? Why do you disrrupt my peace?" I scold myself, _Fool, this is not peace, this is merely sitting here doing nothing.

"Awaken."

_I purse my lips, surprised yet again. "Off with you, I want nothing."_

"You have a single chance. Or I decide you are not worth it, and allow your soul to wander."

_I blink in confusion. I'm…dead? But I can rise again? A name flashes in my mind. _Inuyasha._ I frown. Who does it belong to?_

_I open my eyes to a flash of white, a single vision remaining crisp and clear in my mind:_

_There is a flash of silver followed by the golden glowing of a pair of eyes, full of gentleness and love. _

Come home.

**A/N: -wails- That's it! This is the last chapter! NOOOOO! Anyhow, sequel will be up sometime this weekend -probably. I hope you all enjoyed 'The Secret War'. Please: review of what you thought of my fan fiction. OH! And the sequel will be called: Delving Deeper. ….yeah, don't know where the title came from. Again! I hope you enjoyed and will return for the sequel!To come in Delving Deeper:**

**A year and a half after the final battle, Inuyasha still grieves for the woman that might have been his mate. But then he finds out something that shocks him at her brother's wedding…and returns to find that the Secret War has not ended; only that it has just begun…**


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